Don't get confused by all the numbers in the title of this post, today I'm reviewing Federico Fellini's 8½, or Otto e mezzo (the way it's pronounced in Italian). This movie is about a famous director, played by Marcello Mastroianni, who struggles to work on his next masterpiece, a deep sci-fi film with autobiographical references. Besides having a "director's block", he also goes through marital problems, and because of this, he loses his inspiration for the upcoming movie.
It was funny when, after twenty minutes of watching this film, I realized that I've already seen this somewhere else. The thing is, a 2009 musical Nine is based on this movie, and I saw it when I was watching Academy Awards nominees last year. I'm expecting disapproval from my readers as I'm writing this review because I barely found the strength to finish watching Nine a year ago, and I think that 8½ isn't any better.
The characters left me cold. I kept getting lost between the director's memories, fantasies and reality. There is almost not plot. After all, I've never liked movies about the struggles involved in the creative process. And I didn't know where the title came from until I looked it up online. For those of you who still have no idea, it refers to being Fellini's eight and a half work, after six feature films, two short segments and a collaboration.
Now I'm ready for your criticism, because I seem to be the only one who feels this way about the movie. I really didn't get it. Aside from it being # 170 on the list, it received two Oscars, and ranked 3rd best film of all time in a 2002 poll of film directors conducted by the British Film Institute.
Interesting fact: Federico Fellini attached a note to himself below the camera's eyepiece which read, "Remember, this is a comedy."
Favorite quote: "You see, what stands out at a first reading is the lack of a central issue or a philosophical stance. That makes the film a chain of gratuitous episodes which may even be amusing in their ambivalent realism. You wonder, what is the director really trying to do? Make us think? Scare us?"
I will admit that I need to watch this again. I had the same trouble in distinguishing between what was real or not. I think you need to be weened onto Fellini. Kind of like you wouldn't start watching Tarkovsky by watching The Mirror.
ReplyDeleteI can't comment further since it's been over 4 years since I saw it.
The joy of watching these ranking IMDb films that you don't like is that you get to rate them how you really feel and hope others feel the same.
ReplyDeleteThat being said, I've watched part of this movie and never finished it. I didn't really give it enough effort, although, I sort of feel like I should, but your comments make me sort of feel like I don't need to.
@Jump_Raven, what do you recommend I watch then? Are there any films easier to understand.
ReplyDelete@RC, I'm glad I'm not alone here, it's really a great feeling. And thanks for visiting my blog and leaving a comment =)
You've got two of them on your list: La Strada and Nights Of Cabiria. Either one is a good place to start. You don't have La Dolce Vita on the list, but it acts as a bridge between the the realist films like La Strada and the more surreal films like 8 1/2.
ReplyDeleteAny other suggestions would be outside of Fellini, like Bunuel's Belle De Jour for a crash course in surrealism.
Thanks Michael, The Nights of Cabiria is coming pretty soon. It's good to hear he's got more realistic films than this one.
ReplyDelete