As of late, I have been watching many Fellini movies. I suppose I got interested in Fellini after I had exhausted my interest in Stanley Kubrick some months back.  My first experience with the Italian director occurred after I watched the film 8 1/2, which I discovered through one of Roger Ebert’s reviews. Centered around the semi-autobiographical story of a struggling director, this film incorporates numerous dream sequences and has a very distinct, “Fellini feel” to it. One thing I have noticed after watching a few foreign films is that the subtitles often take away from my ability to notice the visual elements of the film. Although, I did not miss major plot elements, but in general I noticed that I was not able to pick up on the nuances that play such a large role in many of Fellini’s films ; however, I suppose that it will simply take some getting used to. In the past I have said that watching films critically is a skill—this still proves true. Active viewing is a cognitive and emotional exercise. 

The accessibility of Fellini’s work on Netflix instant is part of the reason I plan to watch as many as his films as I can. Much like books, the more films I watch, the better I get at interpreting some of the more subtle, yet meaningful elements of the plot. So, for any of you reading this, I urge you to watch Fellini’s 8 1/2. You shall enjoy it.

** It’s funny: A friend of mine had been raving about the musical “Nine” for months. I never cared to look into it, but just the other day I decided to Google it. To my delight, the musical is based off of the film 8 1/2. Let me tell you, when I made this connection I felt tremendously excited, but at the same time stupid for not knowing earlier.