8 1/2 (1963)

☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆

8 1/2 (1963) -- F. Fellini

I first saw 8 1/2 maybe 20 years ago at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts -- let's call it my real entree into what we now call arthouse cinema. The name "Fellini" seemed to represent something strange and offered an opportunity for a new experience -- I had no idea what I was getting myself into (and little understanding of his roots in neorealism). It was all very exciting. Watching the film again (last night) I still find it a rich visual experience, even as Fellini's work seems less challenging than it once did. The way that Mastroianni stands in for Fellini as a director who cannot figure out what to do next -- and has problematic relations with and attitudes toward women -- still adds an intriguing extra layer to the film (with hints of Fellini's real life marriage to Giulietta Masina who he mirrored in his next film, Juliet of the Spirits). Of course, 8 1/2 itself is a great title to express indecision (as this was Fellini's 8 1/2th film, if you include a couple of shorts). But with the novelty worn off, I can still say that Nino Rota's amazing score, Fellini's famous faces shot in glorious B&W by Di Venanzo, and the expert blend of fantasy, memory, and reality all hold up today.