Amarcord (1973)

A series of comedic and nostalgic vignettes set in a 1930s Italian coastal town.

Director:

Federico Fellini

Writers:

Federico Fellini, Tonino Guerra (screenplay),

Stars:

Pupella Maggio, Armando Brancia, Magali Noël

Won 1 Oscar. Another 16 wins & 3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Pupella Maggio	...	Miranda Biondi, Titta's Mother
Armando Brancia	...	Aurelio Biondi, Titta's Father
Magali Noël	...	Gradisca, The hairdresser (as Magali' Noel)
Ciccio Ingrassia	...	Teo - the mad uncle
Nando Orfei	...	Patacca, Titta's Uncle
Luigi Rossi	...	Lawyer
Bruno Zanin	...	Titta Biondi
Gianfilippo Carcano	...	Don Baravelli
Josiane Tanzilli	...	Volpina, prostitute
Maria Antonietta Beluzzi	...	Tobacconist
Giuseppe Ianigro	...	Titta's Grandfather
Ferruccio Brembilla	...	Fascist Leader
Antonino Faà di Bruno	...	Count Lovignano (as Antonino Faa' Di Bruno)
Mauro Misul	...	Philosophy Teacher
Ferdinando Villella	...	Fighetta, Greek Teacher

Storyline

A year in the life of a small Italian coastal town in the nineteen-thirties, as is recalled by a director with a superstar's access to the resources of the Italian film industry and a piper's command over our imaginations. Federico Fellini's film combines the free form and make-believe splendor with the comic, bittersweet feeling for character and narrative we remember from some of his best films of the 1950s. The town in the film is based on Rimini, where Mr. Fellini grew up. Yet there is now something magical, larger-than-life about the town, its citizens and many of the things that happen to them.

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Plot Keywords:

1930s | memory | surrealism | movie theatre | actor playing multiple roles | 

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Taglines:

The Fantastic World of Fellini!

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

Italy France

Language:

Italian Greek, Ancient (to 1453)

Release Date:

19 September 1974 (USA)

Also Known As:

I Remember

Filming Locations:

Anzio, Rome, Lazio, Italy

Company Credits

Production Co:

F.C. Produzioni, PECF

Technical Specs

Runtime:

123 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The title is the phonetic translation of the words "Mi ricordo" (I remember) as spelled in the dialect of Rimini, the town in which the director Federico Fellini was born, and where the film is set. The correct spelling should be "A m'arcord".

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Goofs

The banners promoting the Mille Miglia indicate that it was the seventh event (VII). However, the seventh running of the event was in 1933, and Beau Geste was not released until 1939. The Mille Miglia was not held in 1939.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Woman: The puffballs.
Husband: When the puffballs come, cold winter's almost gone.

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Connections

Referenced in Cannibal Holocaust (1980)

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Soundtracks

"Stormy Weather"
(uncredited)
Written by Harold Arlen and Ted Koehler
This tune is heard several times during the film.

User Reviews

The best kind of magic...

This film was first recommended to me by a high school friend who typically enjoys a different kind of film than I. He counts Reservoir Dogs and Mean Streets among his favorites; I am partial to Notorious and Annie Hall. But for his sake, I watched Amarcord, and in the past years have found myself returning to it time and again. I haven't seen any other movies by Mr. Fellini, so I can judge this film only against itself. By such standards, it is a masterpiece. Never have I seen Italy portrayed as lovingly, nor the spectrum of childhood emotions - happiness, love, frustration - represented as frankly. The images are spellbinding - sunlight and fog and great dark seas. Yesterdays are perfect, it would seem, and love exists in what we can remember. So my friend got it right with this one. Amarcord is a kind of magic only the very best in cinema inspire within us. It's the magic that makes us remember.