8 1/2 (OTTO E MEZZO/ EIGHT AND A HALF)

Italy, 1962, 138 minutes, Black and White.
Marcello Mastroianni, Claudia Cardinale, Anouk Aimee, Sandra Milo, Rosella Falk.
Directed by Federico Fellini.

8 1/2 is Federico Fellini’s classic. He named it 8 1/2 because he had made eight feature films and an episode in one film by the time 8 1/2 was completed. In 8 1/2, Fellini had moved from some of the realistic treatment of his locations and characters in the fifties and fully developed the symbolism inherent in so many of those films. It is hard to give a synopsis of the film in "realistic terms".

However, it is the symbolic autobiography of a film maker who was becoming barren and sterile in his production. He retires to a health spa in order to recover. There he encounters various people who give him insight into his own life and its meaning as well as his career. He also encounters the women in his life, wife, mistresses, and Claudia Cardinale as the symbolic embodiment of women. There are so many details in the film which are impressive that they make it a classic. Once again Nino Rota contributes a fine and memorable music score, especially as the symbolism moves towards the end and there is a symbolic dance of life. This was a crucial point in Fellini’s career. He had explored various themes in realistic and symbolic terms in the fifties culminating this with La Dolce Vita.

In presenting a visualising of his fantasies about himself and his career, he was able them to move on to an exploration of society, persons and themes which he did especially in Juliet Of The Spirits and Satyricon. These all contributed in many ways to his purging of himself of so many of his natural, personal and religious preoccupations. 8 1/2 remains one of his best films.

1. What is the overall impact of this film? The varied strands and the varied responses? The necessity of seeing it more than once? Of studying it?

2. The significance of the title in Fellini list of films? The title indicating the style?

3. The film is considered a masterpiece. Comment on the film as a masterpiece in theme, exploration of human values, technical achievement, photography, editing, visualising intellectual themes about life and ambitions.

4. In what way is the film a biography? The film-maker as film-maker? Fellini succeeding where Guido fails? Consider the film as insight into a man of imagination, his fears, heritage, relationships, patronage, skills, breakdown, achievement? The initial impact of the lifeless traffic jam. and Fellini falling to earth. to the circus etc.

5. Comment on the setting as a microcosm of the world: the baths, the mixture of people, the motivations for being there, physical and psychological cure. The contrast with the circus, the dance of life and death. The baths and the circus as location and atmosphere.

6. The theme of psychological purging. by memory, fantasy, psycho-drama? The most striking examples of this and what they illustrate? The film itself as a psychodrama for Fellini, for audiences?

7. The aim of Anselmi’s life? As exemplified in his quest for making a film? His need to create and his need for a sense of achievement? His search for the ideal parents? The search for Claudia, the ideal actress? (His failure to make a film, his breakdown as a man, broken relationships, the death-like memory of his parents? Claudia, although in white, as a hard actress - the nature of reality?)

8. The insight into Italian childhood: the impact of Italy and the Italian temperament, Catholic religion and its overtones - visualised here, the background of Fascism in Fellini's life? The influence of school. home, parents, good manners and behaviour? The importance of the long visualising of La Saraghina? Visual, the rhythmic nature, the music, her grossness, fascination? Earth mother, Mother Italy?

9. The insight into parents, their visualisation, in fantasy, their hypocrisy, fetishes, moral intrusion into Guido’s life?

1O. What is the nature of truth? Can it be seen? Does it coincide with reality? Are there many facets of truth?

11. The women in Anselmo's life? Louisa and the breakdown of relationship, her seeking him out, her helping him in his work, her words as mouthed by the actresses doing tests etc.? The contrast with Carla and her plump jollity? Sensual satisfaction compared with Louisa? Rosella? The fantasies. especially with the harem and his whipping the harem? The insight into the sexual influences?

12. The sequences with the actresses with their ambitions and tests?

13. The persecution by the intellectual? The satire on intellectuals? The presentation on producers and their money-mindedness hounding? The satire on the film world?

14. The satire on the Church with the visit to the Cardinal? The Cardinal at the baths? The comment on the Church and its stances and influences in Italy?

15. The visions of Claudia, the whiteness and light, the fantasy driving, the hope in the vision, the reality and ambitions?

16. The technical insight into the preparation for the film? the interviews, the meals, the personalities involved?

17. The circus and its use as a symbol? The role of clowns?

18. The significance of Anselmi’s influence? In all fields? What kind of liberations does he need? How does he achieve it at the end? His hiding under the table?

19. The finale as Anselmi'.s purging, his freedom, the contrast with the launching of the film? The missile site structure of the film, the press and the chatter, the celebrity atmosphere and, again, the atmosphere of impotence? The contrast with the dance of life or death? Everybody involved in the dance? Some liberation for all people? His ability to relate to some people? To fantasies or realities?

20. The circus passes and the parade goes, the final image, the boy with the flute, the clown receding into darkness? What images of hope? How optimistic is the film? How pessimistic?