8½ (1963)

Director:

Federico Fellini

Writers:

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

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

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:

Federico Fellini attached a note to himself below the camera's eyepiece which read, "Remember, this is a comedy."

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:

Writer: You've made the right choice. Believe me, today is a good day for you. These are tough decisions, I know. But we intellectuals, and I say we because I consider you such, must remain lucid to the bitter end. This life is so full of confusion already, that there's no need to add chaos to chaos...

Movie Connections:

Featured in Kino pro kino (2002)

Soundtrack:

The Ride of the Valkyries

A fresh cinematic miracle

8 1/2 remains one of the most original and spellbinding films I know of. One of the beauties of cinema is to merge the artist's memory and fantasy; Fellini certainly utilized this magic to present his story and characters that embody both humanity and mystery. This film is an autobiographical piece (of Fellini himself) about a movie director named Guido, how his life is consumed by his increasing obsession with work. He avoids questions and problems as if they will go away somehow, only to experience more questions and problems. Ultimately, Guido realizes the only way to solve his problems is to face them rather than escaping, accepting himself instead of wishing he was someone else.

The opening sequence--one of the most deftly crafted--is taken from Guido's movie (or his dream - can't remember for sure). The sequence brilliantly captures Guido's problems (which are dealt with in the rest of the picture) and exposes them metaphorically: him STUCK in traffic, TRAPPED in smoke, SUFFOCATING, wanting to escape, and pulled back down by his peers. Guido wants to make a movie about his (and Fellini's) MEMORIES: how once upon a time he learned about a chant that moves pictures, and the time he danced with the fat feminine prostitute figure. The other main component of his movie involves launching into space, a FANTASY that reflects Guido's (and Fellini's) desire to escape from worldly matters. In real life, Guido is having problems with everything from his wife to his movie. So he thinks a beautiful actress, whom he fantasizes but knows little to nothing about, will be the solution to all his problems. When Guido meets the actress, he realizes she can't solve his problems, only he himself has the choice. This realization leads to the film's closure, with Guido having learned what's important to him and the inevitability of taking responsibility.

One of the film's powerful features is ambiguously blending Guido's world with his imaginations. Thus the audience is constantly deciphering the context of what's on the screen. This invitation to participate in the film is welcome, and if we think about it, a person like Guido who lives in his office might not be able to tell at times whether an event happened in his life or inside his mind.