8 1/2 by Stuart Doty

By Stuart Doty

8 ½ / 1963

Federico Fellini / Rimini, Emilia-Romagna, Italy/ 1920

Budget:  Unknown

Gross: $98,760 1999 USA Re-issue (Tinto)

Synopsis:  Director Guido Anselmi is in pre- production on his latest film.  He wants his movie to convey a message about life; only he doesn’t know what it is.  With the production crew hungry for details and direction, Guido reflects on his own life, desperate to find the proper ending to his film.

Narrative and Visual Keywords: Dreams, Fidelity, Sex, Comedy, Movie Director. 

Characterization/ Dialogue: The subjects in this film are characterized as artistic individuals who are used to speaking in subjective abstract thought.  They can conjure drama from almost nothing. They feel misery and self-loathing all while co-existing with every lavish and luxury available. The dialogue was in Italian, though the subtitle translation was brutally passive. The characters spoke directly towards one another, though much of the dialogue was lip service or conveyed the opposite of how the characters actually felt.

Camera/lighting/editing technique: Fellini utilizes camera movement to evoke many a different types of moods. He also plays with the movement of his subjects. He frequently will have subjects spontaneously appear from outside the frame, catching the viewer by surprise.  He also uses editing to travel back and forth between past, present, and fantasy. The lighting at times seems very film noire; this is especially noticeable when the scenes consist of only Guido and another female.

 Political/ Social Commentary: The social commentary in this film is blatantly obvious. Fellini challenges catholic idealism in regards to sexual morality. He raises the question: should we be more sexually free, can we overcome our intuitive feelings of hurt and jealousy? Or is it wrong to have these open relationships if they hurt the people that we truly love?

Historical Relevance/ Recognition:  “8 1/2” was the basis for the Broadway Musical "Nine", which won the Tony for best musical in 1982 and for best musical revival in 2003 (Tinto).

Notable Collaboration: Marcello Mastroianni played Guido Anselmi in “8 ½ “, He also played Marcello Rubini in Fellini’s film, “La Dolce Vita.”

Random fact, Etc.: When I lived in Sicily from 2002-2004, I had heard about Fellini, the famous Italian director, and even bought La Dolce Vita on DVD. I was unable to watch it do to the regional codes imprinted on DVD’s. By the time I bought an Italian DVD player, I had lost interest.  Somehow my Italian DVD player didn’t make it back with me when I moved back to the states, even though it was listed in my inventory. It was, and still remains a major conspiracy theory.

1. There are many examples of subjective and objective realties within the movie “ 8 ½ .“  Guido frequently goes in and out of dream world, projecting his inner desires on the world around him. A most memorable scene in the movie is when Guido’s wife runs into his mistress. In objective reality, she is scornful, hateful, and irrational. In Guido’s subjective reality, the two women hug and kiss and compliment each other on their impeccable fashion and become great fiends. 

2. The ideas of monogamy, fidelity, and catholic idealism are challenged by our worldly desires of the flesh.  For so long, it has been forbidden to have more than one sexual partner, and definitely thought unsavory to go outside your marriage. Though, how can something that feels so natural, be so wrong. These are the questions the movie juggles vicariously through Guido’s dilemmas.  

3.It is widely known that Marcello Mastroianni became Fellini’s cinema alter ego. He is the template in which Fellini projects his analytical thoughts. It gives us an idea of Fellini’s inner struggles.  I think Fellini is trying to say: what can a human being do, but be true to oneself. As a man, he may wish for a world where our animal lust can be satisfied without hurt or betrayal.  In the end, we must realize that this is not the world we live in.  Perhaps it is wiser to find happiness from more meaningful attributes in our partners.  Lust is fleeting, and outward beauty is temporary.

Citations:

1. 2.     Tinto, Colin. "8 1/2  ", Internet Movie Database. IMDB, n.d. Web. 22 Jan 2012. <http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0106226/>