8½ (1963)

Director:

Federico Fellini

Writers:

Federico Fellini (story) &
Ennio Flaiano (story) ...
(more)

Release Date:

25 June 1963 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Fantasy

Tagline:

A picture that goes beyond what men think about - because no man ever thought about it in quite this way!

Plot:

A harried movie director retreats into his memories and fantasies.

Plot Keywords:

Director | Mistress | Spa | Childhood | Film Director

Awards:

Won 2 Oscars. Another 14 wins & 8 nominations

Cast

Marcello Mastroianni	...	Guido Anselmi
Claudia Cardinale	...	Claudia
Anouk Aimée	...	Luisa Anselmi (as Anouk Aimee)
Sandra Milo	...	Carla
Rossella Falk	...	Rossella
Barbara Steele	...	Gloria Morin
Madeleine Lebeau	...	Madeleine, l'attrice francese
Caterina Boratto	...	La signora misteriosa
Eddra Gale	...	La Saraghina (as Edra Gale)
Guido Alberti	...	Pace, il produttore
Mario Conocchia	...	Conocchia, il direttore di produzione
Bruno Agostini	...	Bruno - il secondo segretario di produzione
Cesarino Miceli Picardi	...	Cesarino, l'ispettore di produzione
Jean Rougeul	...	Carini, il critico cinematografico
Mario Pisu	...	Mario Mezzabotta
Yvonne Casadei	...	Jacqueline Bonbon
Ian Dallas	...	Il partner della telepata
Mino Doro	...	L'agente di Claudia
Nadia Sanders	...	Nadine, la Hostess (as Nadine Sanders)
Georgia Simmons	...	La nonna di Guido
Edy Vessel	...	L'indossatrice (as Hedy Vessel)
Tito Masini	...	Il cardinale
Annie Gorassini	...	L'amica del produttore
Rossella Como	...	Un'amica di Luisa
Mark Herron	...	Il corteggiatore di Luisa
Marisa Colomber	...	Una zia di Guido
Neil Robinson	...	L'agente dell'attrice francese
Elisabetta Catalano	...	Matilde, la sorella di Luisa
Eugene Walter	...	Il giornalista americano
Hazel Rogers	...	La negretta
Gilda Dahlberg	...	La moglie del giornalista americano
Mario Tarchetti	...	L'ufficio di stampa di Claudia
Mary Indovino	...	La telepata
Frazier Rippy	...	Il segretario laico
Francesco Rigamonti	...	Un'amico di Luisa
Giulio Paradisi	...	Un'amico
Marco Gemini	...	Guido da ragazzo
Giuditta Rissone	...	La madre di Guido
Annibale Ninchi	...	Il padre di Guido
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Antonio Acqua	...	Bit Part (uncredited)
Gideon Bachman	...	Bit Part (uncredited)
Maria Antonietta Beluzzi	...	Bit Part (uncredited)
Agnes Bonfanti	...	Bit Part (uncredited)
Deena Boyer	...	Bit Part (uncredited)
Mathilda Calnan	...	Un'amica di Luisa (uncredited)
Giulio Calì	...	Un uomo ai fanghi (uncredited)
Franco Caracciolo	...	Young Priest (uncredited)
Anna Caramini	...	Bit Part (uncredited)
Olimpia Cavalli	...	Bit Part (uncredited)
Elisabetta Cini	...	Un cardinale (uncredited)
Alfredo De Lafeld	...	Bit Part (uncredited)
Sebastiano De Leandro	...	Bit Part (uncredited)
Dina De Santis	...	Dina, 'nipote' di Cesarino (uncredited)
Edward Fleming	...	Bit Part (uncredited)
Grazia Frasnelli	...	Bit Part (uncredited)
Sonia Gessner	...	Bit Part (uncredited)
Eva Gioia	...	Eva, 'nipote' di Cesarino (uncredited)
Riccardo Guglielmi	...	Guido da bambino (uncredited)
John Karlsen	...	L'uomo in auto (uncredited)
John Francis Lane	...	Bit Part (uncredited)
Valentina Lang	...	Bit Part (uncredited)
Annarosa Lattuada	...	Bit Part (uncredited)
Palma Mangini	...	La vecchia alla fattoria (uncredited)
Roberto Nicolosi	...	Bit Part (uncredited)
Polidor	...	Un pagliaccio (uncredited)
Maria Raimondi	...	Una zia di Guido (uncredited)
Nino Rota	...	Bit Part (uncredited)
Luciana Sanseverino	...	Bit Part (uncredited)
John Stacy	...	Il cassiere (uncredited)
Maria Tedeschi	...	La direttrice della scuola (uncredited)
Flaminia Torlonia	...	Bit Part (uncredited)
Roberta Valli	...	La ragazza alla fattoria (uncredited)
Maria Wertmuller	...	Bit Part (uncredited)
Vadim Wolkowsky	...	Bit Part (uncredited)

Directed by
Federico Fellini

Writing credits
Federico Fellini		(story) &
Ennio Flaiano		(story)
Ennio Flaiano		(screenplay) &
Tullio Pinelli		(screenplay) &
Federico Fellini		(screenplay) &
Brunello Rondi		(screenplay)

Produced by
Angelo Rizzoli	....	producer

Original Music by
Nino Rota

Cinematography by
Gianni Di Venanzo

Film Editing by
Leo Cattozzo		(as Leo Catozzo)

Production Design by
Piero Gherardi

Art Direction by
Piero Gherardi

Set Decoration by
Vito Anzalone

Costume Design by
Piero Gherardi
Leonor Fini		(uncredited)

Makeup Department
Otello Fava	....	makeup artist
Renata Magnanti	....	hair stylist

Production Management
Mario Basili	....	production manager
Clemente Fracassi	....	production manager
Nello Meniconi	....	production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Francesco Aluigi	....	assistant director
Guidarino Guidi	....	second assistant director
Giulio Paradisi	....	assistant director
Alessandro von Norman	....	assistant director (as Alessandro Norman)
Lina Wertmüller	....	third assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Luciano Ricceri	....	assistant scenic designer
Brunello Rondi	....	artistic advisor

Sound Department
Alberto Bartolomei	....	sound
Mario Faraoni	....	sound

Camera and Electrical Department
Pasqualino De Santis	....	camera operator (as Pasquale De Santis)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Orietta Nasalli-Rocca	....	assistant costume designer (as Orietta Nasalli Rocca)
Clara Poggi	....	tailor

Editorial Department
Adriana Olasio	....	assistant editor

Other crew
Mirella Gamacchio	....	script supervisor
Angelo Iacono	....	production assistant
Albino Morandini	....	production assistant (as Albino Morandin)
Mario Basili	....	production assistant (uncredited)
Mario Carotenuto	....	voice dubbing: Mario Conocchia (uncredited)
Renata Marini	....	voice dubbing: Anouk Aimée (uncredited)
Elio Pandolfi	....	voice dubbing: Frazier Rippy (uncredited)
Stefano Satta Flores	....	voice dubbing: Guido Alberti (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Cineriz
• Francinex

Distributors

• Columbia Films (1963) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Columbia (1963) (France) (theatrical)
• Embassy Pictures Corporation (1963) (USA) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• Corinth Films (1980) (USA) (all media)
• Vestron Video (1983) (USA) (VHS) (dubbed)
• Vestron Video (1988) (USA) (video)
• Medusa Home Entertainment (2003) (Italy) (DVD)
• Umbrella Entertainment (2004) (Australia) (DVD)
• Cinema Mondo (2004) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Criterion Collection, The (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Homescreen (2004) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Zazie Films (2008) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Kinowelt Home Entertainment (2007) (Germany) (DVD) (Special Edition)
• Vii Pillars Entertainment (2008) (Hong Kong) (DVD)
• Imagica TV (2008) (Japan) (DVD)
• Altomedia. Co. Ltd. (????) (Korea) (DVD)
• Altomedia. Co. Ltd. (????) (Korea) (VHS)
• Criterion Collection, The (2010) (USA) (DVD)
• Emerald (2006) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Kino International (USA)
• LK-TEL Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)
• Umbrella Entertainment (2012) (Australia) (TV)
• Versátil Home Vídeo (Brazil) (DVD)

Also Known As:

"Federico Fellini's 8 1/2" - USA
"Federico Fellini's 8½" - USA (complete title)

Runtime:

138 min

Country:

Italy | France

Language:

Italian | English | French | German

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

USA:Not Rated | Argentina:13 | Australia:PG | Chile:14 | Finland:S | Norway:16 | Peru:14 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 (re-rating) (1989) | UK:A (original rating) | Norway:15 (2004) | Singapore:PG | Portugal:M/12 | Australia:M (DVD rating) | Netherlands:12 (DVD rating) | South Korea:15 (DVD rating) (2003) | Italy:T

Filming Locations:

Cinecittà Studios, Cinecittà, Rome, Lazio, Italy

Company:

Cineriz

Trivia:

Often cited by Federico Fellini himself as one of his favorite films ever, even considering other directors' works.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Guido visits the cardinal in the mud bath, the cardinal is sitting in a chair, fully dressed in his cassock, as two attendants use a sheet to form a curtain around him; however, as the camera cuts to a closer angle, the cardinal is suddenly undressed to the waist.

Quotes:

Guido:Could you walk out on everything and start all over again? Could you choose one single thing, and be faithful to it? Could you make it the one thing that gives your life meaning... just because you believe in it? Could you do that?"
Claudia:I don't know... could you?"
Guido:No, the character I'm thinking of couldn't. He wants to possess and devour everything. He can't pass anything up. He's afraid he'll miss something. He's drained.
Claudia:That's how the film ends?
Guido:No, that's how it begins. Then he meets a girl at the springs. She gives him water to heal him. She's beautiful... young, yet ancient... child, yet already a woman... authentic, complete. It's obvious that she could be his salvation.
[...]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in La Chinoise (1967)

Soundtrack:

Danse des Mirlitons

Artsy-schmartsy, pseudo-intellectual Fellini is one big yawn.

Fellini's abstract, artful, surrealistic masterpieces certainly deserve their place in cinematic history, but "8 1/2" should not be among them. I know it's not posh to put down Italy's genius (I seldom see any critics having the balls to do so), but I cannot applaud a respected artist's piece of work simply on name value when, for me, it is meritless as entertainment, does little to stimulate the mind other than to numb it, or further the appreciation of film making. Mind-altering drugs should not be an option for getting through a difficult movie. As a result, all "8 1/2" did for me was induce drowsiness. Overlong, laborious, ostentatious, and utterly self-indulgent, this is the kind of movie to see if you are a chronic insomniac. Folks, put away those expensive and dangerous tablets and pills...try "8 1/2"..for a nice, safe and restful sleep.

Supposedly, this is one of Fellini's most intensely personal projects. Big deal. Marcello Mastroianni portrays an obsessed Fellini-like filmmaker in the midst of undertaking a new project, enslaved by weird, warped, surreal visions and concepts that serve as motivators. A number of foreign beauties (Claudia Cardinale, Anouk Aimee) are entrapped in subplots that go virtually nowhere. I remember "Fellini Satyricon" as being an equally difficult, visually-arresting piece, but at least the director had the sense to make it forbiddenly erotic with its bizarre assortment of characters prancing about in panoramic perversity.

Self-analytical, psychological mumbo-jumbo goes just so far. You remember those inane "Saturday Night Live" skits with Gilda Radner that spoofed these heady, overblown Italian movies? They were pointing their finger at this baby, not "La Dolce Vita," a far better film.

If ambiguous, esoteric, highly pretentious art is your thing...go for it. If not, but you feel you'd like to fit in and hold your own in a Fellini(esque) conversation, may I suggest his more plot-friendly "masterpieces" -- "Nights of Cabiria," "La Strada" or even the slim but delightful "Ginger and Fred," all showcasing the extraordinary talents of Fellini's legendary wife Giulietta Masina.

Come to think of it, perhaps SHE is what this film is missing!