The action
takes place in Rome in 1962, over a two weeks period. The director and actor Guido
Anselmi (Mastroianni), 43 years old, has delayed the start of shooting
of his newest movie for 15 days, because of the state of confusion he is living after
the success of his latest work. To recover the lost inspiration ,he checks in a hotel in a Roman bath.
This film marks the beginning of the second phase Fellini's cinematography, characterized by its
complexity and its baroque style. During this retirement at the Grand Hotel
Fontana, there is a mixture of images from Guido's past, present and a hazy future in his mind.
Surrounded
by the writer, producer, the production team, the women he has loved, friends,
acquaintances, hotel guests, spa users, etc., he immerses himself in his memories,
dreams and hallucinations; he reviews his insecurities, emotions, desires and
ambitions. Mixing facts and fantasy, delusion and memories, experiences and
dreams.
The
protagonist, paralyzed by the anxiety he feels before starting the new work,
reflects on what movies are, the process of artistic creation, the role of
imagination and fantasy in the life of the creator. He anguishes for a motive for art's analysis, the meaning of life and death, etc. To access the magical world he
has a keyword: "asa nisi masa", containing the word "anima" (soul).
Guido is the transposition, or "alter ego", of Fellini, fan of this
resource.
As in the best Fellini's tradition, the filmmaker sets out typologies of women through the ones who live
in the story. Carla (Milo) is the motherly lover, Luisa (Aimee) the independent
and frustrated wife, Claudia (Cardinale) the ideal woman, Saraghina (Gale) the grotesque
woman.
The music of
Nino Rota provides an excellent score of 12 cuts, combining holidays and
lyrical themes. The most popular cut is "di addio Passarella," whose
background is given by the circus march "Entry of the Gladiators" by
Julius Fucik.
Photography
by Gianni di Venanzo, highlights black and white images with emotional
chiaroscuro and a masterful combination of colors (white, black and gray). It all ends up creating images that refer to the world of fantasy.
Director:
Federico Fellini
Writers:
Federico Fellini (story), Ennio Flaiano (story)
Stars:
Marcello Mastroianni, Anouk Aimée and Claudia Cardinale
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