Swide Magazine by Dolce&Gabbana

Fellini made film history in many ways and today still much of his work is seen and well-loved. However his very personal 1963 directorial effort, 8 1/2, has made it to 2010 with exceptional relevance and modernity. We investigated the eight and a half reasons why it might be so.

Rule #1:  An iconic director. Federico Fellini, enough said.

Rule #2: Magnificent actors and brilliant performances. The cast read like something of a 1960's Hall of Fame what with Fellini's best on-screen alter ego Mastroianni alongside actresses such as Anouk Aimée or Claudia Cardinale. Of the dynamics between Marcello and Anouk Fellini himself reckoned the chemistry was on and indeed off the screen. "Marcello and Anouk are excellent actors who could pretend. I cannot say, however, that I minded that the two of them found each other so attractive. I think some of that was caught on the screen."

Rule #3: A healthy dose of complexity. The fact the film reads in so many ways means today still critics and film buffs alike are still discussing, debating and interpreting it and thus always reading it in a very contemporary way with our contemporary mindsets.

Rule #4: Some fantasy! Not just in the characters but in actual dream scenes and other imagined sequences that depart from the Neorealist tradition we are more used to. This onirical tone continues to wow and we continue to dream.

 

Rule #5: Beautiful women. Not necessarily how we intend it nowadays; the women of Fellini are strong and all-powerful and haunting and while some may have seen them as the director's "objects" we would beg to differ as ultimately they condition and even dictate the fate of our male protagonists. 8 1/2 is a prime example.

Rule #6: A timeless central theme While it may seems anecdotal, the fact the film was born out of Fellini's own case of the writer's block makes it very relatable and transcends its periodical context of 1960's Neorealism, a claim few films of that time can actually make.

In Fellini's own words: "In the case of 8 1/2, something happened to me which I had feared could happen, but when it did, it was more terrible than I could ever have imagined. I suffered director's block, like writer's block. I had a producer, a contract. I was at Cinecittà, and everybody was ready and waiting for me to make a film. What they didn't know was that the film I was going to make had fled from me. There were sets already up, but I couldn't find my sentimental feeling."

 Ruke # 7: Famous fans. Terry Gilliam, one of contemporary film's most out-there visionnaires, lists it amongst his favourites as he reckons it offers great insights into the essence of cinema and what he interpreted as the "director's myth" - the idea that films could be made even without the director figure but that it plays an essential part as the one person people come to for answers. Hear what Terry's got to say in this video.

 

Rule #8: Tributes and adaptations. 2009 has just ended with a Nine bang, the perfect illustration of how very current the 1963 original still is.

Rule #8 1/2: Well not a rule per say but the fact it inspired Rob Marshall to shoot his own version also means we got to see Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana done priest outfits and wow, guys, keep up the good work (we are especially loving Stefano's retro side-parting). See them in action in our exclusive set photographs.

 

 

Source: The Fellini fan in all of us.

Credits: Fellini's 8 1/2 - Onset photos courtesy of Dolce & Gabbana

TAGS: fellini 8 1/2 eight and a half; marcello mastroinanni anouk aimee rob marshall nine domenico dolce stefano gabbana