Definitely an important movie, but I don't agree that it was simply random. Important for modernism and futurism I'd say. On Wikipedia, someone compares this to Ulysses (Joyce), which is apt.
Like La Dolce Vita i think this is a film i will need to revisit many times in the future as a i get older in order to fully appreciate the richness and complexities of both masterpieces. The visual style is absolutely beautiful and there are so many individual ideas and moments to discuss that it would probably take a detailed study to unearth all the treasures, but there are many parts i enjoyed the first time through (i particularly enjoyed Guido's little fantasy of hanging his pretentious producer in the cinema, and the moving shots showing the crowds in close up in the park) and others that didn't catch me too much but left me feeling i probably need more life experience to understand. It was quite a long experience even being just 2 and a bit hours and i can see why people might come away finding it "boring" but really i think this film is a work of pure art, one that can offer entirely different things to different people and will remain a point in time that is admired and discussed for decades into the future.
When I first tried to watch this movie, my eyelids starting getting really heavy after about 20 minutes. I prepared with coffee this time. This film has a dream-like sleepiness to it I have not experienced in other films. That's pretty much the only effect it had on me though sadly.
Fellini's 8½ is certainly a masterpiece of image-making, as the director dramatizes his avatar's dreams, both sleeping and waking, or alternatively, explores how a film director essentially dreams in movie terms, i.e. are the dreams dramatized by Fellini or by the character of Guido? And is there a difference in this case? The director as control freak is constantly restructuring reality, memory, and the people around him, and so the film takes on a surreal quality. And what happens when that director runs out of inspiration, is filled with doubt and anxiety? The surrealism becomes more nightmarish, but is no less an active restructuring. I'm not sure I need to know how much semi-autobiographical mea culpa is in 8½, but Fellini has a LOT to say about the creative process, the relationship between creator and creation, the creator as borrower/thief, and on what I (via Dune) call the mindkiller. There's so much to unpack, I can see film buffs returning to this one again and again.
A rather dizzying movie. Took a while to get traction but some great individual scenes - the 'harem' scene was hysterical in particular. The blending of dream and reality takes some getting used to, but this is a great capturing of the war of the sexes.
Found it quite messy... Glimpse of good ideas and the premise is ok, but the execution is just random scenes without think of the movie as a whole (6/10)
This is definitely a film that would appeal to people (men) who see themselves as “tortured artists”. Whether or not that has any connection to its level of acclaim...
Beautiful movie about a 43-year old man who enters in crisis when he discovers he's incapable of loving. I had dropped it after 20 minutes when I first tried to watch it 20 years ago. By coincidence I am 43 now, and I'm happy I saw it at this age, because I face the same pangs as the main character.
Beautiful cinematography. Eerie atmosphere.
I kind of liked the incursions into Guido's dreams and torments, but I didn't fall in love with it.
Brilliant masterpiece of Fellini! Incredible cinematography and splendid acting. The burden and bonus of being a famous director... Who cares who are the other characters?? Guido (the director played by Marcello Mastroianni) didn't know, but as him we have to live with them..
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So according to these comments this is either the greatest movie ever or the worst.George Bailey
He counted his movies as a co-director as a ½ movie. He made 3 movies with other directors and 6 by himself. So 8½ was his 8½ film...myopia
Definitely an important movie, but I don't agree that it was simply random. Important for modernism and futurism I'd say. On Wikipedia, someone compares this to Ulysses (Joyce), which is apt.moontopmountain
Like La Dolce Vita i think this is a film i will need to revisit many times in the future as a i get older in order to fully appreciate the richness and complexities of both masterpieces. The visual style is absolutely beautiful and there are so many individual ideas and moments to discuss that it would probably take a detailed study to unearth all the treasures, but there are many parts i enjoyed the first time through (i particularly enjoyed Guido's little fantasy of hanging his pretentious producer in the cinema, and the moving shots showing the crowds in close up in the park) and others that didn't catch me too much but left me feeling i probably need more life experience to understand. It was quite a long experience even being just 2 and a bit hours and i can see why people might come away finding it "boring" but really i think this film is a work of pure art, one that can offer entirely different things to different people and will remain a point in time that is admired and discussed for decades into the future.Flops
When I first tried to watch this movie, my eyelids starting getting really heavy after about 20 minutes. I prepared with coffee this time. This film has a dream-like sleepiness to it I have not experienced in other films. That's pretty much the only effect it had on me though sadly.Troublenight
Bellísimo!Siskoid
Fellini's 8½ is certainly a masterpiece of image-making, as the director dramatizes his avatar's dreams, both sleeping and waking, or alternatively, explores how a film director essentially dreams in movie terms, i.e. are the dreams dramatized by Fellini or by the character of Guido? And is there a difference in this case? The director as control freak is constantly restructuring reality, memory, and the people around him, and so the film takes on a surreal quality. And what happens when that director runs out of inspiration, is filled with doubt and anxiety? The surrealism becomes more nightmarish, but is no less an active restructuring. I'm not sure I need to know how much semi-autobiographical mea culpa is in 8½, but Fellini has a LOT to say about the creative process, the relationship between creator and creation, the creator as borrower/thief, and on what I (via Dune) call the mindkiller. There's so much to unpack, I can see film buffs returning to this one again and again.Scratch47
A rather dizzying movie. Took a while to get traction but some great individual scenes - the 'harem' scene was hysterical in particular. The blending of dream and reality takes some getting used to, but this is a great capturing of the war of the sexes.rwj
Found it quite messy... Glimpse of good ideas and the premise is ok, but the execution is just random scenes without think of the movie as a whole (6/10)badblokebob
This is definitely a film that would appeal to people (men) who see themselves as “tortured artists”. Whether or not that has any connection to its level of acclaim...Windill
Beautiful movie about a 43-year old man who enters in crisis when he discovers he's incapable of loving. I had dropped it after 20 minutes when I first tried to watch it 20 years ago. By coincidence I am 43 now, and I'm happy I saw it at this age, because I face the same pangs as the main character.Beautiful cinematography. Eerie atmosphere.
I kind of liked the incursions into Guido's dreams and torments, but I didn't fall in love with it.
schneid67
Beautiful. Like a dream. Scorsese said that this film and Peeping Tom say everything there is to say about film makingWarrison
Liked it more than 'La Dolce Vita' but still dont like either of them. The style is not to my taste.Dieguito
Brilliant masterpiece of Fellini! Incredible cinematography and splendid acting. The burden and bonus of being a famous director... Who cares who are the other characters?? Guido (the director played by Marcello Mastroianni) didn't know, but as him we have to live with them..musicismylife29
You: „Your Eminence, I am not happy.“Fellini: „..be happy? That is not your task.“
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