140 8½

[ianungstad]

I upgraded to the Blu-ray recently. Does anyone else find the subtitles on this nearly impossible to read? The subtitles are frequently almost impossible to differentiate from the whites on screen.

[barryconvex]

I watched the blu a few months ago and don't recall having a problem...

[Roger Ryan]

I upgraded to the Blu-ray recently. Does anyone else find the subtitles on this nearly impossible to read? The subtitles are frequently almost impossible to differentiate from the whites on screen.

The only trouble I have is with the sheer amount of dialogue (often witty) competing with the constant flow of amazing images: my eyes don't know where to look!

[Trees]

Guido's infatuations with Carla (Sandra Milo) and Claudia are symptoms of his immaturity.... With Claudia, he engages in a kind of virginal woman-worship. He is too weak and immature to fully relate to the commitments and complexities of a relationship with a intelligent, three-dimensional woman. So he imagines that if he could just be with Claudia instead, she would be perfection, all would be blissful.

I have news for you... this a state of mind many men will relate to. And who's to say that it could not work out with the lovely Claudia. As Sausage and others pointed out, something is not working in this guy's life as it relates to his wife. You say he's too immature, and many artists are, but maybe equally the wife is "too mature"? She doesn't seem like a good match for him. Why should someone spend their life banging their head against a brick wall with only bruises and torment to show for it?

The thing I definitely love most about this film is its boundless energy. It reminds me a bit Parajanov's "Shadows" in terms of its daring, bravado and unrestrained exuberance. Parts of the film, especially that insane harem dream sequence set to Wagner, are as exhilarating and euphoric as cinema gets.

[flyonthewall2983]

Watched this the other night. My first Fellini. I have some major blindspots as far as cinema goes, especially from outside of North America and well even from within too. I like what I like and I never really thought of myself as some of the people I’ve seen on television and gush over something I may have just brushed off and respected from afar but not taking the full plunge because it would somehow feel as if my intellect were being insulted if I didn’t get it.

I’m almost 40, and one of the many gifts I am finding amidst this whole new wisdom I’ve perhaps earned by sticking around as long as I have, is the ability to finally shut myself off from such feelings like that, and allow myself some more challenges to what I thought I knew about the world and the opportunity for perhaps enlightenment and even happiness.

And I still know what I like. I can throw down with the people I hang out with about the more popular movies we grew up with. National Lampoon’s European Vacation was on the tv last week, and we had a good laugh bringing up those 80’s comedies many of us here we’ve talked about with a similar energy if not passion, more informed directly by nostalgia then even if the movie was good or not.

I can’t talk about this or Fellini with them or would even be interested to suggest putting it on instead of the ballgame, because even at this late stage, I can still become acquainted with the people, from the place I spent so much of my life avoiding. And that’s been the gift of coming here, suddenly realizing this as I am writing it.

[therewillbeblus]

So what did you think of 8 1/2?

[flyonthewall2983]

I loved it, and found it to be far less of a Rubik’s cube of a plot then I maybe imagined it to be. And as with finally watching Citizen Kane, I saw where it fits in the larger picture of how it influenced people here as it surely did in Italy and across Europe.

In all of it’s supposed otherness that is meant and maybe serves best as a respite from the more supposedly bland surroundings I have lived in, it is very easily relatable. He’s tortured by the pull of his desires, and his strict religious upbringing. It’s the shame brought on by people of the cloth, that collects much of the toxic aspects of his personality but also perhaps the muse that drives him along.

The spaceship set is as much a monument to stress and unchecked emotions as it is to this guy’s artistic vision. The best comparison I can make is the scene in Fight Club after it’s revealed that Narrator’s apartment exploded. The totality of a person laid bare and dissected like a crime scene, which it in fact is in that case. With that monstrous movie set, maybe scarier then anything that would ever be filmed on it, it is like some manifestation of the soul combined with what happens when you finally see just how much other junk you left behind gathering dust under your couch.

[therewillbeblus]

You should move La dolce vita to the top of your queue then, as the themes and sensations you mention here are, in my opinion, felt infinitely stronger in that film. I’ve come to love 8 1/2 over time after merely liking it for years, but Fellini’s previous film is an All-Timer

[DarkImbecile]

Agreed; outside of a few stellar sequences, I mostly just respect 8½, but I love La dolce vita, and I think it’s the most accessible summation of Fellini’s interests and talents.

[Roger Ryan]

... He’s tortured by the pull of his desires, and his strict religious upbringing. It’s the shame brought on by people of the cloth, that collects much of the toxic aspects of his personality but also perhaps the muse that drives him along.

The spaceship set is as much a monument to stress and unchecked emotions as it is to this guy’s artistic vision. The best comparison I can make is the scene in Fight Club after it’s revealed that Narrator’s apartment exploded. The totality of a person laid bare and dissected like a crime scene, which it in fact is in that case. With that monstrous movie set, maybe scarier then anything that would ever be filmed on it, it is like some manifestation of the soul combined with what happens when you finally see just how much other junk you left behind gathering dust under your couch.

Very insightful analysis!

I'll jump on the bandwagon with a recommendation for La dolce vita; I've considered it my favorite film of all time for a few years now. While the three hour length may seem daunting, Fellini packs in an incredible amount of vivid characters and locations while revealing devastating soul-crushing truths about the human experience with the ease of ordering breakfast.

[FrauBlucher]

Flyonythewall, since your initial post I was curious to hear your opinion. Fellini is probably my favorite director and those two films mentioned respectively are his masterpieces. Your analysis was strong and insightful. I will take the other side of the coin and say I’m more into
8 1/2. The imagery in 8 1/2 can’t represent the inner turmoil that Fellini felt any more significantly than anything else I’ve seen from him.

[swo17]

Dec 10 4K UHD

[dwk]

Hang onto the old Blu-ray booklet, though, since it looks like the UHD is only a new essay and drops all the other stuff.

[ryannichols7]

infuriating since that booklet is terrific. "I, Fellini" is a great director's statement and the two essays are extremely good to my memory. Kezich had a close relationship with Fellini and I always enjoy Sesonske's input (he's usually all in on Renoir but I thought his piece was great)

it's nothing against the new essayists, but why not expand the booklet and include them all? it's disappointing. here I was hoping I'd be fully positive about this month

[swo17]

Was any of that writing included in the Essential Fellini set?

[therewillbeblus]

That's what I was wondering - were they dropped already back then?

[ryannichols7]

Was any of that writing included in the Essential Fellini set?

no, but that I can expect. I don't think they've carried any individual release stuff over to boxsets yet. the incredible booklet for Amarcord is also one to have

[therewillbeblus]

Thankfully this stuff should all be available to read on their website

[ryannichols7]

I really don't support that approach, just like how I don't support the "it's viewable on the channel" approach. doesn't that defeat the entire purpose of physical media? the very hobby we're all here to discuss?

[therewillbeblus]

The channel stuff is impermanent and restrictive, but online publications are not. I agree it would be ideal to include it, but I'm still allowed to be grateful that it's widely available to anyone with an internet connection...

[ryannichols7]

I feel like online pubs are just as much impermanent. I mean sure it's free compared to the channel, but for me booklet essays can often be some of the most crucial pieces related to a film. especially if some of the words come directly from the director - I noted on here the other day that the Criterion Exterminating Angel is one worth hanging onto for the fantastic interview with Buñuel in the booklet. Fellini was no less of a great orator - I will be going over the 8 1/2 booklet later but my memories of his "My Rimini" piece in the Amarcord booklet is...honestly more preferred than the movie itself, for me (which I've always had some issues with, even as a huge Fellini fan)

anyway the point is, all of this should stay on the shelf. Criterion's joke leaflets add often so little value. I tend not to complain about them as much since the disc content is slim enough, but this is an instance it's warranted, since it's an actual downgrade from what the film already came with in previous editions from the same company. again, no diss to the writer of the new essay at all, but it's very unfortunate. it's not like they're dropping an Armond White essay or something

[therewillbeblus]

We don't disagree about that ethos, but it's still cool that you can access it online. That's all I was saying.

[hearthesilence]

I generally prefer physical booklets, but it's much more of a losing battle with print media, especially if the value is completely in the text with no real physical component that stands out (like photographs or the design of the book itself). I say this as someone whose seen his classmates go off into publishing, magazine or journalism careers only to find that everything they do is strictly for the internet, with even some of the most storied publications discontinuing print publication.

I hope Criterion reinstates the essays, but in the meantime, I'd just download the online versions in PDF form just to be safe.

[ryannichols7]

We don't disagree about that ethos, but it's still cool that you can access it online. That's all I was saying.

that's totally fair. and I get it - I'm glad I can watch Criterion's extras for The Third Man on the channel in perpetuity, but I'd much prefer to have a disc copy of them without shelling out $100 for a Bluray (I know the DVD goes for much less)

I generally prefer physical booklets, but it's much more of a losing battle with print media, especially if the value is completely in the text with no real physical component that stands out (like photographs or the design of the book itself). I say this as someone whose seen his classmates go off into publishing, magazine or journalism careers only to find that everything they do is strictly for the internet, with even some of the most storied publications discontinuing print publication.

I hope Criterion reinstates the essays, but in the meantime, I'd just download the online versions in PDF form just to be safe.

I'm glad (*steps onto same box I do every month*) the UK labels have valued print media though and I have to feel people do still read and care about the booklets and their essays. Radiance, BFI, and Indicator all add basically nothing else to their LEs aside from the booklets themselves, and the rush to get those kinda demonstrates to me that people still care about having them. but you're right, we are seeing it die out in many places, from newsstand publications to in flight magazines. all of which is unfortunate

I am the type to hang on to the BD edition (that I've had for...14 years now?) in order to keep the booklet. I understand all "shelf space" arguments but I usually always keep the individual editions - I still have all the Bergman and Fellini single editions even if the boxsets superseeded them when it comes to the discs (8 1/2 already having this new 4K transfer on disc, even). hell, I tracked down a copy of the DVD edition of The River for that BBC doc that didn't get carried over to the Bluray. a bit obsessive over this stuff? sure, but it all has value to me

[therewillbeblus]

I'm glad I can watch Criterion's extras for The Third Man on the channel in perpetuity, but I'd much prefer to have a disc copy of them without shelling out $100 for a Bluray (I know the DVD goes for much less)

Meanwhile, I did shell out that money for a sealed copy many years back for the commentaries, but I also don't subscribe to the Channel and that feels less secure, permanent, and accessible than Criterion's website. I'm doubtful that they'd take down stuff that they took the time to put up in recent years. Anyways, I guess it's all about what you value most