The 1960's proved novel to international cinema. Specifically, Italian cinema became watershed. Those challenging and sober themes of post-war Neo-realism, though pervasive, began to travel down more expressionistic avenues. Besides peeking around doorjambs and tackling real social issues, a new style emerged, mirroring mental events that displayed subjective memories, imaginary scenes, fantasies and dreams. "Chimerical" was the best word to describe the time, with much respects to its hierarchical roots: German Expressionism.
Federico Fellini's "8 1/2" is one of the better examples that, in the true sense of the word, "exemplifies" the aforementioned but brief summary. The film, as Fellini describes, is "self-indulgent." It was not made for public fanfare or critic accolades, but was more of an iconoclastic push-in-the-face to media in general. The autobiographical story follows the crowded life of film director, Guido, who, in the midst of making a larger-than-life science fiction film, suffers from an existential crisis.
We travel through many surreal corridors, many of which are either incoherent or elusive, but all of which represent the psychology of Guido's memories/dreams as he painstakingly struggles to complete his film. In this aspect, the journey of a filmmaker actually making a film, despite its highly stylized qualities, is very realistic. The non-linearity and seemingly capricious juxtapositions of both Guido's film within Fellini's film mirror each other. In fact, Fellini uses Guido and his story as an extension of his own: two struggling filmmakers who seek to complete their masterpieces.
Although extremely challenging to the the viewer's patience, in retrospect the film can be very rewarding.
Federico Fellini's "8 1/2" is one of the better examples that, in the true sense of the word, "exemplifies" the aforementioned but brief summary. The film, as Fellini describes, is "self-indulgent." It was not made for public fanfare or critic accolades, but was more of an iconoclastic push-in-the-face to media in general. The autobiographical story follows the crowded life of film director, Guido, who, in the midst of making a larger-than-life science fiction film, suffers from an existential crisis.
We travel through many surreal corridors, many of which are either incoherent or elusive, but all of which represent the psychology of Guido's memories/dreams as he painstakingly struggles to complete his film. In this aspect, the journey of a filmmaker actually making a film, despite its highly stylized qualities, is very realistic. The non-linearity and seemingly capricious juxtapositions of both Guido's film within Fellini's film mirror each other. In fact, Fellini uses Guido and his story as an extension of his own: two struggling filmmakers who seek to complete their masterpieces.
Although extremely challenging to the the viewer's patience, in retrospect the film can be very rewarding.
Tell Your Friends