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 | Spa | Mistress | Friend | Italian

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:

Because of a strike at the development & print lab at Cinecittà, during post-production, Federico Fellini was unable to check the daily shoot. He reportedly never took vision of the filmed material until the movie editing phase.

Goofs:

Audio/visual unsynchronized: When Guido and Claudia go out for their drive, they stop near some springs. Guido exits the passenger side of the car (off camera); we hear the door open and close. But when Claudia, who was driving, steps out moments later (also off camera), we never hear her door open or close.

Quotes:

Guido:The truth is: I do not know... I seek... I have not yet found. Only with this in mind can I feel alive and look at you without shame.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Brief Film Reviews: My DVD/Blu-Ray Collection" (2010)

Soundtrack:

Danse des Mirlitons

Exhilarating and inspired

Fellini's 8 1/2 opens with a stunning dream sequence in which a man is trapped in his car in the middle of a traffic jam. The doors and windows are locked and there is no escape. Other drivers simply sit and stare at him passively. The driver starts to panic as smoke begins to build up within the car. Propelling himself outside a window, he floats over the other cars and soars above the world until he is pulled down a rope attached to a tether on his ankle. The driver is Guido Anselmi (Marcello Mastroianni), a film director at odds with himself. Shot in black and white, 8 1/2 is an exhilarating, confusing, irritating, and inspired journey into a man's consciousness. It is not just a look at the inner turmoil of one person, but also a commentary on each person's struggle to make sense of their life. The film's combination of kaleidoscopic images, evocative score by Nino Rota, and amazing performances ensure its place as one of the greatest films of the century.

Guido is preparing to shoot a new film with an expensive budget. He constructs a huge spaceship launch pad that costs $80 million but he is unsure of what he wants to say. Guido's dishonesty in dealing with his marriage, his career, and the fact that he really does not want to make the film forces him to falsely mislead people as to his true intentions. He feels like a failure and is physically spent. He checks into a spa to restore his health and well being but the contingent of producers, actors, writers, and hangers on undermine his strength. His feeling of being overwhelmed by personal and professional obligations provides the catalyst for dreams and fantasies that take him back to his childhood.

Fellini shows his encounter with the prostitute Saraghina (Eddra Gale) and the guilt he has to deal with in a confrontation with the Catholic Church. Guido invites his intellectual wife Luisa (Anouk Aimée) to the set but their relationship has turned cold and passionless, and sparks fly when she has to confront Carla (Sandra Milo), his buxom mistress. Guido is misguided but he has an innocence and charm that allows us to overlook his indulgences. He enjoys his pleasures but has a conscience and feels guilty about cheating on Luisa whom he loves and is afraid of losing. He fantasizes that all of the women in his life are together in a harem where they all dote on his every whim. When they finally recognize how little he cares about them, he is forced to suppress their revolt.

As image piles on image and the fantasy becomes indistinguishable from the reality, the viewer may get lost in a maze of dazzling incoherence. Fellini, however, always returns to solid ground and the film offers not only a satire on the frenzy, the uncertainty, and the clash of egos involved with making a film but also a serious commentary on the importance of honesty in a relationship. If 8 1/2 is occasionally exhausting, the ending is invigorating, letting us know that life is a game in which each of us is on the stage performing our roles and the only sane response to its turmoil is to join hands in love and celebrate the moment.