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Revision as of 01:41, 30 August 2008
1963 Italian film| 8½ | |
|---|---|
 Original theatrical poster | |
| Directed by | Federico Fellini |
| Written by | Ennio Flaiano Tullio Pinelli Federico Fellini Brunello Rondi |
| Produced by | Angelo Rizzoli |
| Starring | Marcello Mastroianni Claudia Cardinale Anouk Aimée Sandra Milo |
| Cinematography | Gianni Di Venanzo |
| Edited by | Leo Cattozzo |
| Music by | Nino Rota |
| Release dates | February 14, 1963 (Italy) June 25, 1963 (US) |
| Running time | 138 minutes |
| Country | Italy |
| Language | Italian |
8½ (pronounced Otto e mezzo in Italian) is a 1963 film written and directed by Italian director Federico Fellini. It is regularly acclaimed by film critics as one of the finest films ever made; it consistently ranks in the "top ten best movies ever" lists by cinema institutes and academies; in a recent poll of film directors conducted by the British Film Institute, 8½ was ranked 3rd best film of all time. The film was shot in black-and-white by influential and innovative cinematographer Gianni di Venanzo, and features a soundtrack by Nino Rota.
Background
Title
This film's title refers to the total number of films Fellini had previously directed. These previous works included six full-length feature films, two short segments, and a collaboration with another director. The latter three projects accounted for a "half" film each. Thus, after directing these "7½" prior projects, this film became production number "8½" for Fellini.
Fellini's previous six full-length feature films included: Lo sceicco bianco (The White Sheik) in 1952, I vitelloni (Vitelloni) in 1953, La strada (The Road) in 1954, Il bidone (The Swindle) in 1955, Le notti di Cabiria (Nights of Cabiria) in 1957, and La dolce vita (The Sweet Life) in 1960.
His two short segments included: the segment "Un Agenzia Matrimoniale" ("Marriage Agency") in the 1953 film L'amore in città (Love in the City) and the segment "Le Tentazioni del Dottor Antonio" from the 1962 film Boccaccio '70. His collaboration, with Alberto Lattuada, was Luci del varietà (Variety Lights) in 1950.
The working title for 8½ was La bella confusione (The Beautiful Confusion).
Plot
The plot revolves around an Italian film director, Guido Anselmi (Marcello Mastroianni), who is suffering from "director's block." He is supposed to be directing an ill-defined science fiction film but has lost interest amid artistic and marital difficulties. As Guido struggles half-heartedly to work on the film, a series of flashbacks and dreams delve into his memories and fantasies; they are frequently interwoven with reality.
Cast
- Marcello Mastroianni as Guido Anselmi
- Claudia Cardinale as Claudia
- Anouk Aimée as Luisa Anselmi
- Sandra Milo as Carla
- Rossella Falk as Rossella
- Barbara Steele as Gloria Morin
- Madeleine LeBeau as Madeleine
- Caterina Boratto as La signora misteriosa
- Eddra Gale as La Saraghina
- Guido Alberti as Pace
- Mario Conocchia as Conocchia
- Bruno Agostini as Il segretario di produzione
- Cesarino Miceli Picardi as Cesarino
- Jean Rougeul as Carini
- Mario Pisu as Mario Mezzabotta
Themes
8½ is about the struggles involved in the creative process, both technical and personal, and the problems artists face when expected to deliver something personal and profound with intense public scrutiny, on a constricted schedule, while simultaneously having to deal with their own personal relationships. It is, in a larger sense, about finding true personal happiness in a difficult, fragmented life. Finally, like many Italian films of the period (and most famously evident in the films of Fellini's contemporary, Michelangelo Antonioni), 8½ is about the alienating effects of modernization.
Autobiographical elements
8½ is highly autobiographical: Fellini made the film because he himself was suffering from a director's block; the character of Guido (played by Mastroianni, whom Fellini often used to mirror himself in his films) is a representation of himself and many of Guido's memories are based on Fellini's own. Because of this, 8½ is a recursive film: a film about the creation of itself as well as a metafilm.
Fellini did not originally intend the film to be so obviously autobiographical. According to screenwriter Tullio Pinelli, in the original script, Guido was a writer who could not finish his novel. However, when Fellini found out that Marcello Mastroianni had just played a writer in Michelangelo Antonioni’s La notte, he changed the character into a movie director, explaining, "How am I going to ask Marcello to play a writer again? He’ll end up believing he’s one and he’ll write a novel."
Four years after completing 8½, life imitated art. Fellini's producer, Dino De Laurentiis, had invested in an expensive replica of Cologne Cathedral and other huge sets that had been built in Cinecittà for Fellini's film Il viaggio di G. Mastorna. Fellini then informed De Laurentiis that he would not finish the film. De Laurentiis was furious, much like the producer in 8½.
Critical reaction
Since its release, the film has received worldwide praise from critics and audiences alike. Roger Ebert wrote in his 1993 review of 8½ that "it remains the definitive film about director's block" making it no surprise that it came number three on the 2002 Sight & Sound Director's Poll (beaten only by Citizen Kane and The Godfather Parts 1 and 2.) The film also features #5 on They Shoot Pictures, Don't They's Top 1000 films. Popular film magazines such as Empire have given it excellent reviews to this day and many critics still consider it the best movie about making movies.
Production
During production, Fellini handwrote a note to himself and attached it to the camera below the viewfinder so that he would constantly see it when filming. It stated, "Ricordati che è un film comico." ("Remember, this is a comedy.")
As with most Italian films of this period the sound was entirely dubbed in afterwards; following a technique dear to Fellini many lines of the dialogue were written only during post production, while the actors on the set mouthed random lines. This film marks the first time actress Claudia Cardinale was allowed to dub her own dialogue — previously her voice was thought to be too throaty and, coupled with her Tunisian accent, was considered undesirable.
Technical details
8½ was filmed in the spherical cinematographic process, using 35-millimeter film, and was exhibited with an aspect ratio of 1.78:1.
Awards
8½ won two Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film and Best Costume Design (Black and White). It also garnered three other nominations for Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Art Direction (Black-and-White).
The film won all of the seven awards it was nominated for at the Italian National Syndicate of Film Journalists.
It won the top award at the Moscow Film Festival.
8½ is a fixture on the prestigious Sight & Sound critics' and directors' polls of the top ten films ever made. It ranks number three on the magazine's "Directors' Top Ten Poll", and number nine on the "Critics' Top Ten Poll", from 2002.
It is ranked as the 4th Best Foreign Language film of all time by the Screen Directory.
See also
References
- ^ "Directors' Top Ten Poll". British Film Institute. Retrieved 2007-03-26.
- BBC - Films - review - Fellini 8½
- "Screening the Past". Retrieved 2007-09-09.
- The Criterion Collection: 8 1/2 by Federico Fellini
- Ebert, Roger (1993-05-07). "Reviews :: Fellini's 8 1/2". rogerebert.com. Retrieved 2008-01-21.
- 8½, Criterion Collection DVD, featured commentary track.
- "Top Ten Listings: Foreign Language". The Screen Directory. Retrieved 2007-03-26.
External links
- 8½ at IMDb
- Template:Amg movie.
- The collection of the Museum of Modern Art: Federico Fellini
- Criterion Collection essay by Federico Fellini
- Criterion Collection essay by Alexander Sesonske
- Criterion Collection essay by Federico Fellini
| Preceded bySundays and Cybele | Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film 1963 |
Succeeded byYesterday, Today and Tomorrow |
| Preceded bySundays and Cybele | Golden Globe for Best Foreign Film 1964 |
Succeeded byYesterday, Today and Tomorrow |
