Cherished Cinema

Otto e mezzo (Federico Fellini, 1963)

Hello all.

I am at a loss as to why I picked Otto e mezzo for this project. I am sure I had a great reason, most likely to do with the implications that it has for filmmaking in general combined with the fact that it is a fantastic film. I am confused because it is neither Fellini’s best film nor my favorite in his filmography (La dolce vita and Amarcord respectively) yet I picked Otto e mezzo. Federico Fellini is doubtlessly my favorite director (as noted in a previous post) but to be honest, I have seen only a handful of his films. I Vitelloni was my introduction to Fellini and I have since seen the following: Nights of Cabiria, La Dolce Vita, Otto e mezzo, and Amarcord. I am ashamed to say that that is only a meager twenty percent of his filmography. Guido, the main character, is right up there with Travis Bickle, Barry Egan, and Jake Gittes in my favorite, most interesting characters in cinema. It is impossible for the viewer not to notice and for me not to note that the music and the pacing are both exquisite. This film also belongs on my “Top Ten Films That I Wish to One Day See on the Big Screen.”

There is still not, in my opinion, a better opening sequence in the history of cinema. The viewer is given such a bizarre outlook for the rest of the film (I could see some dispute with this claim due to the sudden reveal of it being a dream but I am talking in terms of everything leading up to Guido waking up). I remember watching this for the first time and being confused on an entirely new level, and this was Fellini’s intention. Dreams end up being one of the most important facets of the films and also a useful tool in decoding the character of Guido so it is only fitting to open the film with a dream.

Fellini’s presentation of characters in the film, mainly women, is masterful. The audience is forced to pay attention to select characters at any given moment (thanks to close ups and effective camera angles). At times it seems as if the characters are engaged in some sort of brilliantly choreographed dance when they are, in the reality of the film, just moving about and talking. Fellini’s exceptional ability as a filmmaker shines in moments such as these. Brief side-note:  The young woman the viewer meets at the beginning, Gloria, is a student of philosophy and is writing a thesis. The topic of her thesis is an absolutely remarkable example of a comical yet poignant use of self-awareness within a film. The topic is “The Solitude of Modern Man as it is Presented in Modern Theater” and for those who have seen the film can most certainly understand the importance of “the solitude of modern man.”

On the topic of choosing this film, I think my thought-process was along the lines of, “how can I make a list of ten films that made me love film and not include Otto e mezzo?” It’s an astonishing film, one of maybe thirty that I think that everyone should see at least once. The ending is both beautiful and perfect, both of the last times I have watched it, I watch the last fifteen minutes at least twice. I curse myself every time I watch this film because the closing music will be stuck in my head for at least the next day or so.

Thank you for reading!