I stumbled upon this 1963 Federico Fellini masterpiece when I was 18, and it stood out among other classic movies that were a bit slow for my millennial taste. I fell in love with how the film captured the raw experience of being human: a confusing stream of consciousness that mixes dreams, memories, and imagination. All equally impactful in one’s life.
I would watch bits of the movie every night, entranced by the expressive Fellini-esque characters, often bizarre and full of tenderness. I even studied Italian to unpeel all the layers of meaning in the movie. Although my Italian didn’t go that far, my love for Fellini’s movies and his influence over me only grew with time.
In 8 1⁄2, Marcelo Mastroianni plays Guido, a director who tries to find inspiration for his ninth movie, which he is about to start shooting. Guido is essentially an alter-ego for Fellini, who always produces his best work by inserting his own life into his art. We are presented to Guido in a nightmare, stuck in a car and having a panic attack. He manages to escape and fly away, but his freedom is cut short by a “wizard-producer” who pulls him down from the sky.
We get the anxiety of being in his shoes while the producers, crew, and cast nag him around the hotel, trying to get more information about the movie they are working on. But Guido is completely lost, and when his intellectual colleague reviews the script as “a series of gratuitous episodes,” it only adds to his insecurity. This report could reference not only the movie Guido is trying to make but also the one we are watching. So, well, if you don’t like the movie, at least he told you at the start that it’s a vague mess.
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However, the premise brings us the perfect scenario to explore the non-linear confusion of our consciousness. Any of Guido’s daydreams could bring him the spark to inspire his work, so it’s all meaningful to the plot. In his mind, each small event leads to a spectacular moment:
- A sweaty woman reminds him of the awakening of his sexuality with a voluptuous dancer;
- A magic trick reminds him of a childhood game when the world felt scary and magical;
- A fight with his wife makes him dream of living in a harem with all the women that he ever desired;
- A muse, played by the wonderful Claudia Cardinale, visits him when he struggles to write his screenplay.
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It’s not always clear what’s real, exaggerated, or fully imagined. Still, as Fellini embraces the excess in every scene, we are delighted with an impressionist version of reality that looks deep into how the mind operates. Some questions permeate the movie: Does he have something honest to say? Can he make a film about love? Well, could he really make a movie about love if he’s cheating on his wife and constantly daydreaming about women?
Without getting into major spoilers, I definitely recommend this gem. I love the musicality of the language, Marcelo Mastroiani’s performance, the many other tender and interesting characters, and especially the deeply honest dive into the psyche. After watching 8 1⁄2 and other Fellini classics, I realized that movies can be the ultimate form of telepathy, the best way to express your innermost thoughts and emotions. It inspired me to learn more about Italian culture, cinema, and psychology.
It’s liberating to experience that Guido is also confused, anxious, and flawed. This mess is what makes us unique. It makes life deep, mysterious, and filled with unattainable beauty. It truly makes us feel like we are inside Fellini’s mind, and what a weird and beautiful place that is.
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