8 1/2 (1963)

(This post is part of the Journey to Italy Blogathon hosted by RealWeedgieMidget Reviews and Speakeasy)

Federico Fellini remains one of the most highly regarded directors of all time. Among his most highly regarded films is 8 1/2 (1963). Upon its release it was nominated for five Academy Awards and won the Oscars for Best Costume--Black and White and Best Foreign Language Film. In its native Italy it was nominated for nine Nastri d'Argento and won six. The Italian Ministry of Cultural Heritage included 8 1/2 in its list of a hundred Italian films to be saved. In 2022 it was ranked the 6th greatest film of all time in Sight and Sound's director's poll. It ranked 7th in the BBC's 2018 list of The 100 Greatest Foreign Language Films. 8 1/2 (1963) proved influential almost immediately upon its release.

8 1/2 (1963) centres on celebrated director Guido Anselmi (Marcello Mastroianni), whose last film proved to be a financial and critical success. Unfortunately, Guido finds himself suffering from a creative block, with little more than a few ideas for his next film, an epic science fiction movie. Making matters worse for Guido is that his life is not going as smoothly as he would like. He is having difficulty with both his estranged wife (Anouk Aimée) and his mistress (Sandro Milo). Both his fans and the press want to know what he is going to do next.

Federico Fellini first outlined the ideas for what would become 8 1/2 in an October 1960 letter to Brunello Rondi, who had collaborated with Fellini on La dolce vita (1960). Some sort of professional man suffering from a creative block has to interrupt his life for two-week curative rest at the baths at Chianciano. Both the professional man's real life and his inner life (his dreams and memories) would be portrayed in the film.

The script for 8 1/2  would take some work. Federico Fellini worked with Tullio Pinelli, Ennio Flaiano, and Brunello Rondi, all of whom had worked with the director on La dolce vita (1960), on the screenplay. It was rewritten three or four times before Messrs. Fellini and Pinelli locked themselves in a pensione outside Rome. There they wrote one final draft. Some changes would be made during the production of 8 1/2. Originally was to end with Guido and his wife in the dining car of a train. While on the train Guido would picture the film's characters smiling at him before the train enters a tunnel. In the documentary Fellini: I'm a Born Liar (2002), Tullio Pinelli took credit for advising Fellini to change the film's original ending for its famous ending on the beach.

Even while the script was being written, Federico Fellini did not have a title for the film. Ennio Flaiano suggested La bella confusione (literally in English The Beautiful Confusion). At last Federico Fellini decided to name the film 8 1/2, given it would be the 8th and a half movie he made (seven feature films and segments in Love and the City (1953) and Boccaccio '70 (1962).

8 1/2 is known for its remarkable cast. Both Marcello Mastrioianni and Anouk Aimée had starred in Fellini's previous movie La dolce vita. Claudia Cardinale, had already appeared in several films, including Il bell'Antonio (1960) and Girl in a Suitcase (1961). Among the notable members of the cast is Barbara Steele, who was already somewhat established as a scream queen, having appeared in the horror movies Black Sunday (1960),  The Pit and the Pendulum (1961), and The Horrible Dr. Hichcock (1962). In 8 1/2 Barbara Steele played the girlfriend of one of Guido's friends.

8 1/2 was released in Italy on February 14 1963. It received praise from most Italian critics and other critics throughout Europe. Cahiers du Cinéma ranked it at no. 10 on Top Ten Films of the Year for 1963. 8 1/2 was released in the United States on June 25 1963. In the United States it was praised by most critics, with Pauline Kael and Judith Crist being notable exceptions. As mentioned in the opening of this post, 8 1/2 won several awards. It also did well at the box office worldwide and in the United States and Canada.

8 1/2 proved to be influential almost immediately, with films either inspired by it or outright imitating it coming out not long after its release. Among the films that owe something to 8 1/2 are Mickey One (1965), Alex in Wonderland (1970),  La Nuit américaine (1973), All That Jazz (1979), and yet others. It was later adapted as the 1982 Broadway musical Nine.

It should be little wonder that 8 1/2 continues to be popular not only with directors, but other creatives as well. It is safe to assume that many artists can easily identify with Guido, having gone through their own periods of creative doldrums, all the while having to deal with their personal lives. While 8 1/2 may appeal primarily to creative types, it seems likely that it could appeal to other types of people as well. Quite simply, in dealing with his creative block, Guido also seeks to find meaning in his life, something that many people do whether they are store clerks, lawyers, or doctors. Many believe that Guido is Fellini's author surrogate, but it is safe to say that many can identify with the fictional director.

Of course, much of the appeal of 8 1/2 is that it is simply a well-made film. It is a movie with a dream-like quality, even as it weaves together Guido's real life, dreams, daydreams, and memories. This is aided by Federico Fellini's stylish direction, Gianni Di Venanzo's cinematography, and the performances of the entire cast.

Over sixty years after its release 8 1/2 remains regarded as one of the greatest movies ever made. It is not merely a movie about making movies, but about so much more. It is an explanation not only of creativity, but of interpersonal relationships and life itself.