Underwhelming While Watching But...
After finishing the 3 hour film, a couple days later, it suddenly all came into place. Yes, the movie was way too drawn out, yet it had so many rich layers; the fact that it reveled in the "sweet life" while also showing the emptiness of it, the emotionally shattering scene with Marcello and his father, the astounding and abhorrent spectacle of the "fake miracle", and of course the famous ending. Did anyone else watch the film and feel "blah, this is overrated, but when thinking about it afterward realize what a powerful film it is?