8½
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| Directed by | Federico Fellini | |
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| Release date | 2 January 1963 | |
| Runtime | 138 minutes | |
| RYM Rating | ||
| Ranked | #2 for 1963, #77 overall | |
| Language | Italian, English, French, German, Russian | |
| Genres | ||
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Review
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Cast
- Marcello Mastroianni
Guido Anselmi - Claudia Cardinale
Claudia - Anouk Aimée
Luisa Anselmi - Sandra Milo
Carla - Rossella Falk
Rossella - Barbara Steele
Gloria Morin - Guido Alberti
Commendatore Pace, il produttore - Madeleine Lebeau
Madeleine, l'attrice francese
59 Reviews
Guido Anselmi has quite the clout as a director, only he's struggling to complete his new science fiction film. His marriage is rocky and he just can't force himself to be interested in the project. He is prescribed a spa regiment of mud baths and holy water. He also decides to hire a critic to review his ideas....this does not go well. He even puts his ridiculous dippy mistress up in a nearby hotel to try to help. Along the way we explore his intended vision and his obsession with women. It's a surrealist comedy from Fellini of course, and oddly before I'd ever even seen an "art" film this was the one I could name. I'd always figured I wasn't "hip" enough to get Fellini so I'd never tried until recently when I saw and loved Nights of Cabiria. I finally felt brave enough to touch the untouchable...to watch this film. I was surprised how relatable it was on some levels, that feeling of everybody pushing you to run before you've finished building the road, very stressful! I had no idea what the life of a director was like so it was a very interesting perspective. Trying to be creative on a deadline, everybody needing everything all of the time...yuck! Anyhow the cinematography is of course beautiful black and white. We do float in and out of ideas and people and scenes effortlessly and sometimes without a lot of explanation but I was happy to take the ride. I also can't help but think John Waters must have taken inspiration from La Saraghina for Female Trouble when Divine "dances" down the street, come to think about it was this person the inspiration for Divine's look? We do float in and out of ideas and people and scenes effortlessly and sometimes without a lot of explanation but I was happy to take the ride.
Published
The greatest film director of all time, Terry Gilliam, said that 8½ shows what being a film director is all about. Was this his way of confessing that he's cheating on his wife? Or is it just a tidbit that's not even true, but he felt pressured to say something interesting for the interview? Sadly, we'll never know, since we'll never pursue the career of film director after subjecting ourselves to 8½. Early in the film, a character (not the protagonist, who doesn't have a single interesting line of dialogue) says "Film is 50 years behind the other arts". This seems unfair to film, but then you realize Fellini is actually roasting his own film: art in the early 20th-century was very self-referential, just like 8½. It would be clever, if it wasn't actually embarrassing and boring and sad. 8½ manages to be slightly less turd-like than such films as Breathless and L'Avventura, but it's hard to believe it's made by the same director as La Dolce Vita and La Strada. Watch the opening dream sequence, then lower your expectations; there's roughly 8½ minutes in the entire film that are actually worth watching.
Published
"8 ½" is Federico Fellini's shamelessly eccentric and disarmingly personal masterpiece, chronicling the struggles of a filmmaker facing a creative and personal crisis. It is a joyful and exhilarating rollercoaster ride, blending surrealism and absurdity to enhance the dramatic context and push the boundaries of cinematic conventions in fresh and idiosyncratic ways.
Within the exploration of personal demons, "8 ½" also serves as a captivating reflection on the aftermath of the Italian economic boom, exposing the hollowness and emptiness that followed. The film's thematic depth is beautifully complemented by stunning visuals that transport audiences into a world that is simultaneously familiar and fantastical, captivating the eye and immersing viewers in its mesmerizing atmosphere.
Within the exploration of personal demons, "8 ½" also serves as a captivating reflection on the aftermath of the Italian economic boom, exposing the hollowness and emptiness that followed. The film's thematic depth is beautifully complemented by stunning visuals that transport audiences into a world that is simultaneously familiar and fantastical, captivating the eye and immersing viewers in its mesmerizing atmosphere.
Published
Nevermind 8 1/2, but if it's Fellini you want, go for Roma or Amarcord.
Though Fellini wanted his audiences to take 8 1/2 as a comedy, very little about this film is amusing, let alone interesting. The film revolves around Marcello Mastroianni portraying a filmmaker who is not only struggling with a creative block, but stuck in the midst of a mid-life crisis. As he drifts and mingles with vapid sophisticates and random members of the bourgeoisie who are all too quick to dish out advice and add pressure to his life, the circus-like crowd winds up engulfing him, leaving him feeling more lost than he did before. Even after being dazzled by the elaborate costumery and striking makeup in Fellini's never-ending parade of superficial characters, the viewer soon grows tired of what proves to be more and more of the same. There's nothing to hold on to other than a few stunning faces, a couple of eye-catching scenarios, and the film's extraordinary lighting/photography work. Mastroianni does absolutely nothing for 8 1/2, and in fact, reduces his lead character's standing to little more than a model for suits and eyewear. No matter what movie critics have said about 8 1/2 being one of Fellini's best, if not his masterpiece, Roma and Amarcord are more satisfying and more likely to impress a greater number of filmgoers.Published
This is a film I tried to watch as a teenager, having seen it on many “greatest ever” lists. I didn’t like it then, but I’ve always felt that the critical consensus deserves respect and so I came back for a second viewing.
The major difference now is that I am 20+ years older, roughly the same age as Guido, and I can understand his plight. His neuroses—insofar as I can discern them—are reflected in me, and I think in most men entering middle age.
8 1/2 is made in a kind of breathless style, which I guess is the point—Guido is a man living in a world he’s lost control over—but I’ve never liked films made in this frenetic way; Intolerable Cruelty and The Bonfire of the Vanities were also shot in this style and I couldn’t even finish them. Though this is my idiosyncrasy, I admit.
One of my pet hates is when people tell me about their dreams. Is there anything more boring than someone explaining a dream? Even in the The Lord of the Rings (the novel, not the movies) my least favorite sections were of dreams being recounted. That presents a problem for 8 1/2, which is full of dream sequences and other surreal scenes that I personally consider tedious, though others may find compelling.
Shouldn’t great art be universal? Shouldn’t it say something to everyone? What’s so universal about the professional troubles of a philandering movie director with the Catholic hang-ups of a world long gone?
Ultimately I find the characters in the movie impenetrable (and therefore hard to identify with), one-dimensional and boring, the story confusing, and the direction self-indulgent. I think I hate the film, frankly. I’ve been watching 2-3 movies a day over the last couple of weeks but I had to switch this off after an hour, and I have no desire to watch anything else today. Quite the accomplishment.
The major difference now is that I am 20+ years older, roughly the same age as Guido, and I can understand his plight. His neuroses—insofar as I can discern them—are reflected in me, and I think in most men entering middle age.
8 1/2 is made in a kind of breathless style, which I guess is the point—Guido is a man living in a world he’s lost control over—but I’ve never liked films made in this frenetic way; Intolerable Cruelty and The Bonfire of the Vanities were also shot in this style and I couldn’t even finish them. Though this is my idiosyncrasy, I admit.
One of my pet hates is when people tell me about their dreams. Is there anything more boring than someone explaining a dream? Even in the The Lord of the Rings (the novel, not the movies) my least favorite sections were of dreams being recounted. That presents a problem for 8 1/2, which is full of dream sequences and other surreal scenes that I personally consider tedious, though others may find compelling.
Shouldn’t great art be universal? Shouldn’t it say something to everyone? What’s so universal about the professional troubles of a philandering movie director with the Catholic hang-ups of a world long gone?
Ultimately I find the characters in the movie impenetrable (and therefore hard to identify with), one-dimensional and boring, the story confusing, and the direction self-indulgent. I think I hate the film, frankly. I’ve been watching 2-3 movies a day over the last couple of weeks but I had to switch this off after an hour, and I have no desire to watch anything else today. Quite the accomplishment.
Published
It's hard to deny that Fellini's intricate insanity piece on creativity and filmmaking is a masterpiece and an amazing film. I liked it a lot but couldn't help but see the incredible indulgence on Fellini's part and the fast moving flashbacks and scenes can leave you feeling jumbled at times.
Published
(no spoilers in this text)
If I think cinema is nothing more than the art form using sequences of images and sounds, then I just remember that telling a linear story is just one of many ways of addressing emotions and intellect. 8 ½ relies a lot more on aesthetics, camera movement, juxtapositions, symbolism and cross references to remain highly stimulating and paint with style what it’s like to be Guido/Fellini. Fantasy doesn’t help a plot line but can tell you a lot about one’s psyche. So I guess, if this way of using cinema and this matter sound interesting to you, then you’ll be very likely to love this movie.
However, there’s a major flaw to me that prevents 8 ½ from being among my favorites of all time. I had hard time dealing with the dubbing, especially when it’s often poorly executed. To me, poor dubbing is the same as if we saw the cameras or microphones in the frames or if you could tell an actor is just reading lines… it will break my suspension of disbelief. It reminds me time and time again that this is all fiction when I need to forget about this to fully dive into it.
So overall, the cinematography is so artistically brilliant that it gave me a lot to feel and think about but with a stronger suspension of disbelief I think my experience would have been more intense.
If I think cinema is nothing more than the art form using sequences of images and sounds, then I just remember that telling a linear story is just one of many ways of addressing emotions and intellect. 8 ½ relies a lot more on aesthetics, camera movement, juxtapositions, symbolism and cross references to remain highly stimulating and paint with style what it’s like to be Guido/Fellini. Fantasy doesn’t help a plot line but can tell you a lot about one’s psyche. So I guess, if this way of using cinema and this matter sound interesting to you, then you’ll be very likely to love this movie.
However, there’s a major flaw to me that prevents 8 ½ from being among my favorites of all time. I had hard time dealing with the dubbing, especially when it’s often poorly executed. To me, poor dubbing is the same as if we saw the cameras or microphones in the frames or if you could tell an actor is just reading lines… it will break my suspension of disbelief. It reminds me time and time again that this is all fiction when I need to forget about this to fully dive into it.
So overall, the cinematography is so artistically brilliant that it gave me a lot to feel and think about but with a stronger suspension of disbelief I think my experience would have been more intense.
Published
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