Fellini and "8 1/2"

The film 8 1/2 (1963) by Federico Fellini is a film that may be hard to understand the first time around as nothing really seems to "happen" in the film. The focus is not on the plot but the internal state of the main character Guido played by Marcello Mastroianni. Guido is a film director trying to create the story of his next big film, but is stuck in a rut that he can't seem to get out of (many say that the film was inspired by Fellini's own troubles with his creative process at the time, yet he made this film). Moreover the film deals with one man's personal crisis to find happiness. The character of Guido seems to have everything. He is the "latin lover," with money, a wife, women, work as a film director. He portrays an image of masculinity and force, yet as is demonstrated in the film the character himself is hollow and empty; he is weak. Throughout the film the viewer is guided through scenes of reality and fantasy as we navigate Guido's internal state. When Guido can't seem to take reality, the let's us see Guido's thoughts and fantasies. One of the most famous scenes of fantasy is the harem scene where Guido is surrounded by all the women in his life including his wife, mistresses, and sexual interests. The scene is cinematographically strong with use of camera angles, lighting, and short sequences that jump from one person to the next and long sweeping sequences where the camera follows the characters movements around the room. All these things play a role in expressing Guido's internal state. The music along with the cinematography is fast, frantic, and confusing thus visually expressing Guido's internal state; he too is overwhelmed and confused. When Guido takes out a whip and starts snapping it in the air it is his attempt to put the women, but symbolically his life, back in order. 

Many may ask "what happens" in this film, and the truth is that the film is not plot driven but character driven. The film is a film about making a film and the process that Guido goes through in order to find inspiration. Therefore, when watching this film one may need to put aside their common notions about what a film should be, and watch 8 1/2 for its value a film and not only a story on a screen. The cinematography is well done, the music well placed, the actors well casted. The film to me is like an orchestra where all the little pieces are put together to create a masterpiece. The film conveys human emotion through filmmaking instead of mere storytelling.