“8 1/2 is meant to be an attempt to reach an agreement with life, an attempt and not a result or conclusion,” Federico Fellini once said. “I think the film may suggest a solution: to make friends with yourself completely, without hesitation, without false modesty, without fears but also without hopes.” While a gorgeous restoration of the director’s towering masterpiece has been available on The Criterion Collection, it’s gone through another one thanks to BFI.
Set for a re-release in the UK on May 1st (watch out, Age of Ultron), we now have a new trailer to celebrate the event. Having nearly worn out my Criterion, this new version looks a touch more washed-out than I recall, but nonetheless beautifully sells the stunning ode to filmmaking. Check out the trailer below, along with Fellini’s acceptance speech at the Oscars for the film, as well as Martin Scorsese discussing the director in-depth on Charlie Rose.
Cited (especially by filmmakers) as one of the greatest films ever made, Fellini’s extravaganza – now restored – blends autobiography, fantasy, satire and self-critique.
Struggling with the follow-up to his recent hit, Guido (Mastroianni) – clearly Fellini’s alter ego – retreats into a realm of reminiscence, anxiety and fantasy that reflects his feelings about the film folk constantly pestering him and the women in his life: his wife (Aimée), his mistress (Milo) and his ideal actress (Cardinale). Gianni Di Venanzo’s striking black-and-white camerawork blends realist observation with an evocation of Guido’s inner dreamworld, Mastroianni invests the self-centred protagonist with charm and a degree of dignity, and Nino Rota’s score brings coherence to the freewheeling circus that is Guido’s chaotic routine. Creative block rarely resulted in such feverish invention.
8 1/2 will be re-released in U.K. cinemas on May 1st while a previous restoration in available on The Criterion Collection.