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 secundo 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)
• Versátil Home Vídeo (Brazil) (DVD)

Also Known As:

"8½" - USA (imdb display title)
"Federico Fellini's 8 1/2" - USA
"Federico Fellini's 8½" - USA (complete title)
"Huit et demi" - France
"Fellini 8½" - Argentina, Spain (imdb display title)
"Восемь с половиной" - Soviet Union (Russian title)
"8 és ½" - Hungary
"8 és 1/2" - Hungary
"8½" - Finland
"8½" - Greece (reissue title)
"8½" - Denmark (imdb display title)
"8½" - Sweden (imdb display title)
"8gwa 1/2" - South Korea (imdb display title)
"Achteinhalb" - West Germany
"Fellini 8½" - Sweden (TV title)
"Fellini Oito e Meio" - Portugal (imdb display title)
"Fellini ocho y medio" - Uruguay
"Oktomisi" - Greece (transliterated ISO-LATIN-1 title)
"Osam i po" - Serbia (imdb display title)
"Osiem i pól" - Poland
"Rva nakhevari" - Soviet Union (Georgian title) (festival title)
"Rvanakhevari" - Georgia (imdb display title)
"Vuit i mig" - Spain (Catalan 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:

Singapore:PG | Portugal:M/12 | Australia:M (DVD rating) | Netherlands:12 (DVD rating) | South Korea:15 (DVD rating) (2003) | Italy:T | 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)

Filming Locations:

Cinecittà Studios, Cinecittà, Rome, Lazio, Italy

Company:

Cineriz

Trivia:

Was the basis for the Broadway Musical "Nine", which won the Tony for best musical in 1982 and for best musical revival in 2003.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Guido visits Carla during her illness, a strap of her slip disappears in the close shot after she rolls over, but is apparent in longer shots both prior and after.

Quotes:

Guido:My Dears... Happiness consists of being able to tell the truth without hurting anyone.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "The Nostalgia Chick: Freddy Got Fingered w/ Oancitizen (#5.13)" (2012)

Soundtrack:

Overture

This movie taught me a new "language"

It's been said before: Marcello Mastroianni plays Guido Anselmi, a fictitious, 43-year-old film director with a personal crisis that stunts his creative flow and his inability to get on with his new film after the enormous success of his previous one. The character is iconically brought to life by the immortal Mastroianni with artificially greyed hair and is universally identified as an alter ego of Fellini himself.

The first time I saw 8½ I was in my teens and hated it. I then rewatched it only a few years later, in my early 20s, and something miraculous happened. It was probably a pivotal moment in my film-viewing experience: it suddenly gave me new parametres by which to judge movies and even art in general. I suddenly learnt this new language, so much more beautiful and sophisticated than anything I had heard before. What was most amazing was that after the first negative experience, I had somehow tapped into this language's secret, and it wasn't in the least bit hermetic or difficult, though more complex and sophisticated than other languages I already knew. Many of the movies I'd considered greats became amateurish or dwarfish in comparison.

To me, this was no longer simply a movie, but Art in a more universal sense of the word, Art that just IS and has nothing to strive for or prove. Which is why I find it so nonsensical and contradictory to call something like 8½ "pretentious" - to me, pretentious is when an insecure auteur is trying consciously and hard to be profound, difficult, original, ground-breaking, and you can see their intent clearly, and detect the effort behind the artifice. Nothing of any of this is anywhere to be perceived in 8½, which makes creating masterpieces look easy.

I admit that 8½ is not an easy movie, nor one for everyone. Visually, fewer movies are as iconic, memorable, original, poetic, funny, inventive, allegorical, exhilarating.

The scenes I love are too many to mention, but here are just a few: The steam bath scene when in an odd procession/ritual, the patients are being led into what must be a Turkish bath. All the steam surrounding them, the men wearing sheets that look like shrouds or togas, all looking like mock-ancient Roman dignitaries... Then, through a loud-speaker Mastroianni-Anselmi is told the dried-up, turkey-like Cardinal, will now condescend to meeting him. Before Guido rushes off to meet the Cardinal, all his friends and colleagues beg him to put in a good word for them. This is such a gleeful stab at Italy's grovelling, nepotistic culture of ingratiating oneself to the powers-that-be by paying them lip-service even for the most petty personal advantages. Then Guido stands before the embodiment of Catholic paternalism and his obsequious minions. And everything is at its most pompous and lifeless - this dusty, mummified institution is less in touch with the humanity it's supposed to comfort and advise than it is possible to believe.

I also love the character of Guido's mistress, Carla, played by Sandra Milo at her gaudiest and most voluptuous. Though initially it's difficult to understand what Guido would have seen in her, eventually it become more apparent. Meeting his wife Luisa, you see how well the two women's ways of being complement one another. See for example how she reacts in a simple, good-humoured, self-deprecating way when in the café scene, Guido's elegant, neurotic wife played by Anouk Aimée at her most androgynously attractive - mockingly compliments Carla's tacky outfit for its "elegance". In such instances one gets a sense that though Fellini is parodying his subjects, he also has a fundamental love and human compassion for them.

The prostitute La Saraghina is probably one of the most memorable female characters put to film ever. She is probably somewhere in her 50s and rougher than sandpaper, overweight yet strangely fit and voluptuous, with lots of scary, wild dark hair, overdone raccoon eye make-up caked onto her aggressive, striking, sardonic face as she sits and dances on the lonely beach in Rimini next to her war bunker-home. Guido is fascinated by what is "young and yet ancient", eternal, meaning what is muse-like, archetypically, like the divinely beautiful Claudia character, perfectly embodied by Claudia Cardinale (the ultimate director's muse rather than a real woman or mistress). La Saraghina may not be a young woman like Claudia, she may not represent spontaneity and fresh, uncluttered artistic inspiration like she does, but she is also a muse of sorts - the muse of guilt-free pleasure and non-self-conscious, free, unidealised, earthy femininity. All this is La Saraghina - the town's young boys respond to this in her (including Guido as a child) and are bewitched by her and pay to her to see her demonic yet liberating, visceral dance.

I have so much more to say about this movie, for instance about Nino Rota's memorable score, or how the movie's non-linear structure and juxtaposition of seemingly unrelated scenes emulates the rhythm and mood of dreams to perfection. Also, the scenes featuring Guido's parents and their embodiment of the emotional blackmail, that eternal sense of guilt and the stunting of individuality that the paternalistic institution of family at its most traditional represents in Italy. Or of Guido's touching childhood memories, of the wonderful way in which the movie ends, in a merry-go-round of what really matters in life, when all else has been swiped aside and all that remains is the desire to cherish (with all their imperfections) all those who have really mattered most in our lives...