8½ (1963)

Director:

Federico Fellini

Writers:

Federico Fellini (story) &
Ennio Flaiano (story) ...
(more)

Release Date:

25 June 1963 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Fantasy

Tagline:

A picture that goes beyond what men think about - because no man ever thought about it in quite this way!

Plot:

A harried movie director retreats into his memories and fantasies.

Plot Keywords:

Director | Mistress | Spa | Dream | Friend

Awards:

Won 2 Oscars. Another 13 wins & 5 nominations

Cast

Marcello Mastroianni	...	Guido Anselmi
Claudia Cardinale	...	Claudia
Anouk Aimée	...	Luisa Anselmi (as Anouk Aimee)
Sandra Milo	...	Carla
Rossella Falk	...	Rossella
Barbara Steele	...	Gloria Morin
Madeleine Lebeau	...	Madeleine, l'attrice francese
Caterina Boratto	...	La signora misteriosa
Eddra Gale	...	La Saraghina (as Edra Gale)
Guido Alberti	...	Pace, il produttore
Mario Conocchia	...	Conocchia, il direttore di produzione
Bruno Agostini	...	Bruno - il secundo segretario di produzione
Cesarino Miceli Picardi	...	Cesarino, l'ispettore di produzione
Jean Rougeul	...	Carini, il critico cinematografico
Mario Pisu	...	Mario Mezzabotta
Yvonne Casadei	...	Jacqueline Bonbon
Ian Dallas	...	Il partner della telepata
Mino Doro	...	L'agente di Claudia
Nadia Sanders	...	Nadine, la Hostess (as Nadine Sanders)
Georgia Simmons	...	La nonna di Guido
Edy Vessel	...	L'indossatrice (as Hedy Vessel)
Tito Masini	...	Il cardinale
Annie Gorassini	...	L'amica del produttore
Rossella Como	...	Un'amica di Luisa
Mark Herron	...	Il corteggiatore di Luisa
Marisa Colomber	...	Una zia di Guido
Neil Robinson	...	L'agente dell'attrice francese
Elisabetta Catalano	...	Matilde, la sorella di Luisa
Eugene Walter	...	Il giornalista americano
Hazel Rogers	...	La negretta
Gilda Dahlberg	...	La moglie del giornalista americano
Mario Tarchetti	...	L'ufficio di stampa di Claudia
Mary Indovino	...	La telepata
Frazier Rippy	...	Il segretario laico
Francesco Rigamonti	...	Un'amico di Luisa
Giulio Paradisi	...	Un'amico
Marco Gemini	...	Guido da ragazzo
Giuditta Rissone	...	La madre di Guido
Annibale Ninchi	...	Il padre di Guido
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Antonio Acqua	...	Bit part (uncredited)
Gideon Bachman	...	Bit part (uncredited)
Maria Antonietta Beluzzi	...	Bit part (uncredited)
Agnes Bonfanti	...	Bit part (uncredited)
Deena Boyer	...	Bit part (uncredited)
Giulio Calì	...	Un uomo ai fanghi (uncredited)
Mathilda Calnan	...	Un'amica di Luisa (uncredited)
Franco Caracciolo	...	Young priest (uncredited)
Anna Caramini	...	Bit part (uncredited)
Olimpia Cavalli	...	Bit part (uncredited)
Elisabetta Cini	...	Un cardinale (uncredited)
Alfredo De Lafeld	...	Bit part (uncredited)
Sebastiano De Leandro	...	Bit part (uncredited)
Dina De Santis	...	Dina, 'nipote' di Cesarino (uncredited)
Edward Fleming	...	Bit part (uncredited)
Grazia Frasnelli	...	Bit part (uncredited)
Sonia Gessner	...	Bit part (uncredited)
Eva Gioia	...	Eva, 'nipote' di Cesarino (uncredited)
Riccardo Guglielmi	...	Guido da bambino (uncredited)
John Karlsen	...	L'uomo in auto (uncredited)
John Francis Lane	...	Bit part (uncredited)
Valentina Lang	...	Bit part (uncredited)
Annarosa Lattuada	...	Bit part (uncredited)
Palma Mangini	...	La vecchia alla fattoria (uncredited)
Roberto Nicolosi	...	Bit part (uncredited)
Polidor	...	Un pagliaccio (uncredited)
Maria Raimondi	...	Una zia di Guido (uncredited)
Nino Rota	...	Bit part (uncredited)
Luciana Sanseverino	...	Bit part (uncredited)
John Stacy	...	Il cassiere (uncredited)
Maria Tedeschi	...	La direttrice della scuola (uncredited)
Flaminia Torlonia	...	Bit part (uncredited)
Roberta Valli	...	La ragazza alla fattoria (uncredited)
Maria Wertmuller	...	Bit part (uncredited)
Vadim Wolkowsky	...	Bit part (uncredited)

Directed by
Federico Fellini

Writing credits
Federico Fellini		(story) &
Ennio Flaiano		(story)
Ennio Flaiano		(screenplay) &
Tullio Pinelli		(screenplay) &
Federico Fellini		(screenplay) &
Brunello Rondi		(screenplay)

Produced by
Angelo Rizzoli	....	producer

Original Music by
Nino Rota

Cinematography by
Gianni Di Venanzo

Film Editing by
Leo Cattozzo		(as Leo Catozzo)

Production Design by
Piero Gherardi

Art Direction by
Piero Gherardi

Set Decoration by
Vito Anzalone

Costume Design by
Piero Gherardi
Leonor Fini		(uncredited)

Makeup Department
Otello Fava	....	makeup artist
Renata Magnanti	....	hair stylist

Production Management
Mario Basili	....	production manager
Clemente Fracassi	....	production manager
Nello Meniconi	....	production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Francesco Aluigi	....	assistant director
Guidarino Guidi	....	second assistant director
Giulio Paradisi	....	assistant director
Alessandro von Norman	....	assistant director (as Alessandro Norman)
Lina Wertmüller	....	third assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Luciano Ricceri	....	assistant scenic designer
Brunello Rondi	....	artistic advisor

Sound Department
Alberto Bartolomei	....	sound
Mario Faraoni	....	sound

Camera and Electrical Department
Pasqualino De Santis	....	camera operator (as Pasquale De Santis)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Orietta Nasalli-Rocca	....	assistant costume designer (as Orietta Nasalli Rocca)
Clara Poggi	....	tailor

Editorial Department
Adriana Olasio	....	assistant editor

Other crew
Mirella Gamacchio	....	script supervisor
Angelo Iacono	....	production assistant
Albino Morandini	....	production assistant (as Albino Morandin)
Mario Basili	....	production assistant (uncredited)
Mario Carotenuto	....	voice dubbing: Mario Conocchia (uncredited)
Renata Marini	....	voice dubbing: Anouk Aimée (uncredited)
Elio Pandolfi	....	voice dubbing: Frazier Rippy (uncredited)
Stefano Satta Flores	....	voice dubbing: Guido Alberti (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Cineriz
• Francinex

Distributors

• Columbia Films (1963) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Columbia (1963) (France) (theatrical)
• Embassy Pictures Corporation (1963) (USA) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• Corinth Films (1980) (USA) (all media)
• Vestron Video (1983) (USA) (VHS) (dubbed)
• Vestron Video (1988) (USA) (video)
• Medusa Home Entertainment (2003) (Italy) (DVD)
• Umbrella Entertainment (2004) (Australia) (DVD)
• Cinema Mondo (2004) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Criterion Collection, The (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Homescreen (2004) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Zazie Films (2008) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Kinowelt Home Entertainment (2007) (Germany) (DVD) (Special Edition)
• Vii Pillars Entertainment (2008) (Hong Kong) (DVD)
• Imagica TV (2008) (Japan) (DVD)
• Altomedia. Co. Ltd. (????) (Korea) (DVD)
• Altomedia. Co. Ltd. (????) (Korea) (VHS)
• Kino International (USA)
• LK-TEL Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)
• Versátil Home Vídeo (Brazil) (DVD)

Also Known As:

Eight and a Half (UK) (alternative spelling) (USA) (alternative spelling)
8 1/2 (Italy) (alternative spelling)
8½ (Italy) (alternative spelling)
Federico Fellini's 8 1/2 (USA)
Federico Fellini's 8½ (USA) (complete title)
Huit et demi (France)
La bella confusione (Italy) (working title)
Otto e mezzo (Italy) (alternative spelling)

Runtime:

138 min

Country:

Italy | France

Language:

Italian | English | French | German

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Singapore:PG | Portugal:M/12 | Australia:M (DVD rating) | Netherlands:12 (DVD rating) | South Korea:15 (DVD rating) (2003) | Italy:T | Argentina:13 | Australia:PG | Chile:14 | Finland:S | Norway:16 | Peru:14 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 (re-rating) (1989) | UK:A (original rating) | Norway:15 (2004)

Filming Locations:

Cinecittà Studios, Cinecittà, Rome, Lazio, Italy

Company:

Cineriz

Trivia:

The film's working title was "La Bella Confusione", i.e. "The Beautiful Confusion".

Goofs:

Continuity: A man tells Guido that he has placed something in his right-hand pocket (a gun), when he goes to shoot himself under the table, he pulls it out of his left pocket.

Quotes:

Guido: I thought my ideas were so clear. I wanted to make an honest film. No lies whatsoever. I thought I had something so simple to say. Something useful to everybody. A film that could help bury forever all those dead things we carry within ourselves. Instead, I'm the one without the courage to bury anything at all. When did I go wrong? I really have nothing to say, but I want to say it all the same.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Wicker Park (2004)

Soundtrack:

The Ride of the Valkyries

Impossible to discuss here

Swirling, kaleidoscopic rumination from Fellini. The other user comments here (as well as many professional reviews) show how difficult it is to discuss this film briefly, so I don't think I'm going to try. I would only say that, like other films that push at the boundaries of cinematic greatness--`Citizen Kane,' `Nashville,' and `Brazil' are three others that come to mind--it isn't really possible to place `8 ½' in any simple category. It is a comedy and a tragedy, a satire and a celebration, a movie about love and about the lack of it, a movie about making art and a movie about living, an autobiography and the most challenging kind of fiction, a masterpiece of style and a movie that's really about something. It's not for everyone, but it should be, and it's quite possibly the single greatest movie I have ever seen. 11 out of 10.