Fellini's 8 1/2
15 139 mins
15 139 mins
Fellini’s semi-autobiographical portrait of creative block is one of the great films about filmmaking. At the centre is beleaguered auteur Guido Anselmi, unable to make the film he has planned, luxuriating in his inner conflict between his love for his wife and his desire for his mistress. Pressured from all sides to get on with things, Guido escapes into memory/fantasy (the distinction blurs), re-encountering significant moments in his life and past loves in a surreal landscape of high-contrast lighting and circus magic.
The film’s influence has been profound – Martin Scorsese is said to watch it once a year, while Todd Haynes paid it affectionate homage in his distinctly Fellini-esque portrait of Bob Dylan, I'm Not There.