Movies - 8½

	Movies - 8½

8½ (Italian: otto e mezzo) is a 1963 film by Italian director Federico Fellini. It is critically accepted as one of the finest films ever made .

The plot revolves around an Italian film director, Guido Anselmi, played by Marcello Mastroianni, who amidst marital difficulties attempts to find inspiration for a new science fiction film in which he has lost interest. Often compared to Marcel Proust's novel, In Search of Lost Time, the film often delves into Guido's memories and fantasies. It displays several elements of autobiography, with the character of Guido Anselmi representing Fellini. Additionally, it can be considered a recursive film, as the film Guido is creating is very similar to 8½ itself, and the circumstances in the film's story reflect the real-life circumstances around the creation of the film; that is, 8½ is a film about the creation of itself.

8½ is much admired for its sensitivity to the problems of the creative process, both technical and personal, and problems artists face when expected to deliver something personal and profound, with a large public watching, on a very set schedule – while all the while having to live their own lives, and deal with their own personal relationships. It is in a larger sense about finding true personal happiness in a difficult, fragmented life.

The film won the top award of the Moscow Film Festival and the 1963 Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, and Fellini was nominated for Best Director. 8½ is a fixture on the prestigious Sight & Sound critics and directors poll of the top ten films ever made.

The title 8½ refers to the total number of films Fellini had previously directed: seven films plus three collaborations (each counting for one-half of a film) . Its working title was La Bella Confusione (The Beautiful Confusion). The film is 138 minutes in length and filmed in stark black and white, with a soundtrack by Nino Rota. It was shot by influential and innovative cinematographer Gianni di Vanenza.

The musical Nine and the Canadian television series More Tears were both based on 8½ . Peter Greenaway's 8½ Women
is a nod to Fellini's film as well. It has also been said that Woody Allen modeled his film Stardust Memories
after Fellini's 8½ .

[ Visit the complete Wikipedia entry for 8½ ]

This page is based on the copyrighted Wikipedia article 8½; it is used under the GNU Free Documentation License. You may redistribute it, verbatim or modified, providing that you comply with the terms of the GFDL.

Searches on eBay