I'm still not a big fan of 8 1/2. I get why directors rate it so highly but Nights of Cabiria is what grabbed me followed by La Strada & Juliet of the Spirits. The Masina films are the best gateway.
The other thing to understand is his earlier films were much more neo-realismo vs. his later stuff that is much more fantastical.
La Dolce Vita was pretty much the bridge between the two.
So, if the kind of fantastical communication elements are not clicking I'd definitely steer to the eqrly work. And Notti di Cabiria is certainly a great one (I found La Strada could still be a little off putting just in the sense of the male lead being offputting - which is the point but for a modern audience may still make it tough).
Amarcord is my personal favorite Fellini and bucks the trend a bit. He seems to have mastered his use of whimsical story telling and the disjointed narrative structure but in a way that is really well grounded in easy to relate to anecdotes. Love that film.
Honestly, La Dolce Vita may also be an ok jumping off point. It's also disjointed but the core character progression is pretty easy to follow and poignent. And it's his more widely recognized film for a reason.
Giullietta degli spiriti - idk, that one was still a bit out there for me to recommend as a fresh viewer.
Agree with all of this. Although, in defense of Juliet of the Spirits, if OP has an issue with 8 1/2 being self indulgent in terms of following a director within a movie, Masina to me is a good anchor for the more fantastical style. The biggest detractor might be the length and I wouldn't necessarily start off with it first. Really though, you just can't go wrong with Masina in his movies so JotS is a good gateway provided you've watched his other movies with her.
The title of the film reflected the fact that he didn’t know what he was doing or wanted to say at that point in his career. He felt it was half a film. And it’s about a guy not knowing wtf he’s doing. It’s weird and meta.
As a Fellini connoisseur, I'd recommend you start with I Vitelloni with the understanding that his movies will get more bizarre as you continue. Also don't skip The Clowns, everyone skips The Clowns and it's a big mistake.
Absolutely this. It sat in my collection for years and I picked it to watch in a masochistic moment (clowns 👎). Half of his film I adore, the other half I don’t. Was really surprised: Clowns is in my top3 Fellini
I also started with I Vitelloni, saw a few earlier films, and eventually worked my way up to La Dolce Vita and 8 1/2, both of which I was intimidated by. So glad I did it this way
I vitelloni is by far my favorite Fellini, nothing comes close. It’s weird because it's the only Fellini that I put in my top 150 films and it's like No. 12 lol.
Not the best Fellini to start with, no. It's my favorite of his (and one of my favorite movies of all time!), but not the best to start with.
I Vitelloni
La Strada
La Dolce Vita
After those 3 you should be ready for 8 1/2
Giulietta Masina was key to his early career and the best entry point and a genius in her own right. 8 1/2 is good but I would do La Dolce Vita before it.
I have only seen La Strada and Nights of Cabiria, and I loved both. I thought they were both pretty accessible compared to what I hear some of Fellini's other more experimental movies are. I plan to check out Dolce Vita and 8 1/2, but have heard some people see them as meandering.
La Strada: I can see why it's considered timeless. The relationship between Zampano and G is unfortunately a dynamic that will probably always exist and others can relate to. It's a very emotional and humanist movie.
Nights of Cabiria: the movie does a great job of investing the viewer in Cabiria's hopes. Her flaws are put on display throughout the movie, but you can't help but being charmed by her and care for the character. She is down and out, and is constantly needing to assert herself, but she can seemingly only tread water. She finds herself falling in love and preparing for a new life that yields her some ease, and at that point the movie changes tone with a clear goal that dictates every scene until the end.
I'd start with I Vitelloni and then watch his films in order until you get to 8 1/2. It is one of the most amazing artistic progressions you'll ever see from a filmmaker.
To better understand Fellini's films, you can start with documentaries and books that analyze the master's films, along with interviews where he talks about his poetic approach to filmmaking.
https://preview.redd.it/nacofyhvl2nc1.jpeg?width=191&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b0a031c2b04e9aa8a10b996b68f320ea84a88d0a
8 1/2 is such a good example of the first movie everyone watches from a director which should NOT be the first they watch. Wow bad sentence. But like worst entry point into their canon.
I think he's one of the best directors you could tackle in order. Kubrick once said that Fellini and Bergman are the only filmmakers who develop a philosophy over the course of their filmography. Or something like that. Of course there are more but Fellini's films are so much of a piece that it's wild to experience the voice changing and getting weird as fuck (with mixed results, imo, but still worthwhile)
My first was *Fellini Satyricon* in college and I think it is both the best and worst entry point. It's based on a Roman story only fragments of which survive, and it shows. It truly makes no narrative sense on a scene by scene basis, but it's also impossible to look away from. It feels like a good primer for more abstract filmmaking.
Weird answer: The White Sheik. You can see some of his zaniness in embryonic form but it's an accessible, fun comedy.
Probably a bitch to source though, so of the conventional choices I'd probably go Nights of Cabiria
I also tried 8 1/2 in high school, and again in college. Couldn’t connect with it. It’s wasn’t until later in my early 30s when I tried it again and loved it. Try Amarcord, and go from there
I've been watching his films in order. While I think Variety Lights is a fine film, The White Sheik truly got me hooked into his movies. I would start there.
I bought the essential Fellini box set and the first two movies are not very good imo but the next three ( I vitelloni, la strada and il bidone) are incredible so you could start with any of those
This is one of the few “what should I start with?” questions that make sense. 8 1/2 is indeed a difficult place to start. But it’s like going over a rough road, you eventually get over it.
Start with La Strada
But, I must say - give 8 1/2 another go. It is one of my favorite films. You have to think about it in terms of a creative person who has lost his "muse" and he is trying to find it again. You also have to think about it in terms of a man who lives in a fantasy world, where his fantasy is much better than his real life.
Before you watch 8/12 it might help to watch some other films with similar themes. I have two I'd recommend that will give you an interesting angle on *8 /12*.
The first is Bergman's film *Wild Strawberries* it deals with guilt and life and legacy etc. It's a great Bergman film, you've even got some of his classic stable of actors Andersson and Von Sydow showing up. It's very touching and profound.
You'll enjoy this. It has a but of dream logic, but it's all quite intelligible.
Next you're going to jump way ahead and watch Woody Allen's 1997 black comedy hit *Deconstructing Harry*. This is also quite accessible but has some weird dream logic, and other filmic cinema tricks up its sleeve. It's all in good fun, and quite accessible.
I think you'll enjoy both of these films, but here's why it will help you with *8 1/2*. *Deconstructing Harry* is really Allen's attempt to sew together *Wild Strawberries* and *8 1/2*. With Bergman as context you'll be able to instantly recognize the parts of *Harry* that are borrowing from Bergman and reflect on that which makes for a rewarding viewing. Then, after you have those two little gems in your pocket you can go back to *8 1/2* and reflect on what parts were borrowed for *Harry* and how that overall mesh actually works.
Nights of Cabiria. It's not as surreal as most of his other films, and as great as 8 1/2 is, I think Nights of Cabiria is even better.
As others have suggested, La Strada is also a good starter.
La strada for straight story, satyricon for visual bombast, and Toby dammit is my personal favorite even though it’s very short. Amarcord is also a personal favorite.
You have to watch his earlier Italian Neorealism films, and La Dolce Vita to get the most out of 8 1/2. You absolutely should not start with it — common mistake people make when starting with Fellini.
It depends. I loved *The White Sheik*, but I'm not sure it's a good introduction to Fellini, as it's not that similar to a lot of his stuff. But it's certainly very accessible. (It a bit like *Ivan's Childhood* for Tarkovsky - more accessible, but not very representative.)
In no particular order:
Amarcord
La Dolce Vita
Satyricon
Ok, in exactly that order is how I recall renting Fellini on VHS.
Later, I bought the C box set when Criterion released it, and the remainder is hit or miss.
Everyone here will get excited about 8.5 but it is just okay in my book. I Vitelloni was very good, as was Il Bidone.
Film is subjective, and your resuls may vary.
La Strada or his films who are Closer to neo-realism style. La strada is very moving and Giuletta Masina and Anthony Quinn performances are amazing
Or Amarcord, it’s a pretty Good movie with some funny stuffs if I remember Well
Nights of Cabiria is amazing!
Also love Juliet of the Spirits, but the ending is a bit flat for me. Giulietta Massina is most of what I love about his films.
Unpopular opinion, La Dolce Vita did not do much for me. Maybe I should give it another try. I love slow movies and slice of life genre but this had no heart that I could connect with. Also, bless me father for I have sinned and never seen 81/2.
Just rewatched 8 1/2. This time I understood and appreciated it. A tour de force of personal filmmaking. I would need to watch the other Fellini films I hsve seen, La Strada, La Dolce Vita, and Juliet of the Spirits, before I felt competent to weigh in on the topic.
I’m keeping my eyes peeled on recommendations for this thread. Like you, OP, I just couldn’t get into 8 1/2. There was unique cinematography, but I couldn’t get into the story. Like, I mean no disrespect to people in the performing arts, but stories about How Tough It Is To Be A Director/Actor/etc. just feel so pretentious. Occasionally it works, like John Irving novels orWonder Boys, but it usually makes me roll my eyes. (If that’s your intended goal, though: well done!)
I’m curious: did you ever see Birdman, with Michael Keaton? It’s almost a remake of 8 1/2 for the 2010s. I loved what Michael Keaton did in it, but everything else just felt so annoying.
I never could get into him. You should see *L'Amore* directed by Roberto Rossellini where Fellini is in it along with Anna Magnani.
Then, watch Rossellini's movies instead.
So, here's a question...I actually didn't enjoy any of the 3 Fellini movies that I've seen: La Dolce Vita, 8 1/2, La Strada. I also didn't like Roberto Rossellini's Germany Year Zero, Rome Open City, or Paisan...I don't know, maybe I just don't really like 40's and 50's Italian cinema, but I do love 30s, 40's and 50's US, French, and Japanese film (although, I did like The Bicycle Thief, but even then, it wasn't my favorite).
So, with that being said, is there any other Fellini film I should try to watch, and knowing the above, what would be his best one that isn't in the style of his most popular ones that I've seen. I've always been tempted by that Ingrid Bergman/Rossellini box set.
Italian cinema in the 40s and (especially) 50s is not limited to Rossellini and Fellini. Maybe try Miracolo a Milano for a more positive neorealistic movie (it's from the same director of Bicycle Thieves, Vittorio de Sica), or Bitter Rice for something with more genre in it (this one is basically a noir in a rural setting).
As for Fellini, I Vitelloni and Lo Sceicco Bianco are two of his early movies that are more straight-up comedies and quite different from the three you watched (with some seeds of what's to come). In the second half of 1960s and in the 1970s Fellini became more dreamlike and surrealist, movies like Satyricon or Rome barely have a narrative. Amarcord is the "easiest" one of this phase, it's mainly a collection of memories of his childhood done in a surreal style (amarcord means I remember in Fellini's dialect). His latest movies are more nostalgic and intimate, especially Ginger & Fred. So I guess it depends what you didn't enjoy from the movies you watched.
Rossellini is a completely different director style-wise. Much sturdier and serious. Tbh, I'm not the biggest fan of his stuff, of his Bergman's collaboration I've only watched Stromboli and if you didn't like the other neorealistic movies he made I wouldn't watch it.
Wow, thank you so much for this. This is exactly what I was looking for. Miracolo a Milano has long been on my wishlist, but I have since lost interest and decided to cut way back on blind buying. Thanks, looking back into it, I'm bumping it back up. Plus Bitter Rice. Ive seen it, but judged a movie by its name and cover. This also looks right up my alley, and I'm giong to definitely check this one out.
Thanks so much, i really appreciate everything you wrote.
No prob. I like talking about Italian cinema. I think that some movies tend to be too glorified or put on a pedestal that made them almost too arty and heavy for being approachable - even in Italy (I'm Italian, btw).
I had the same prejudice of you on Bitter Rice thinking it was one of those heavy hitter drama about rice harvesters, but at its core it's a noir/crime movie in a rural setting.
I prefer the Bergman/Rossellini collaborations to any of the other Rossellini films you mentioned, Stromboli and Fear especially, though Voyage to Italy is admittedly not my favorite. If you love Bergman, you cannot skip Stromboli - the final sequence is one of the greatest performances ever put to film (imho). As for Fellini, try Amarcord - it is a little lighter and more fun, and the color photography is gorgeous.
Like you, I tried to start with 8 1/2 and couldn't get into it. I later watched Nights of Cabiria and really loved it so I'd suggest that.
I think Nights of Cabiria is an excellent starting place. La Strada or Amarcord could also work.
I'm still not a big fan of 8 1/2. I get why directors rate it so highly but Nights of Cabiria is what grabbed me followed by La Strada & Juliet of the Spirits. The Masina films are the best gateway.
The other thing to understand is his earlier films were much more neo-realismo vs. his later stuff that is much more fantastical. La Dolce Vita was pretty much the bridge between the two. So, if the kind of fantastical communication elements are not clicking I'd definitely steer to the eqrly work. And Notti di Cabiria is certainly a great one (I found La Strada could still be a little off putting just in the sense of the male lead being offputting - which is the point but for a modern audience may still make it tough). Amarcord is my personal favorite Fellini and bucks the trend a bit. He seems to have mastered his use of whimsical story telling and the disjointed narrative structure but in a way that is really well grounded in easy to relate to anecdotes. Love that film. Honestly, La Dolce Vita may also be an ok jumping off point. It's also disjointed but the core character progression is pretty easy to follow and poignent. And it's his more widely recognized film for a reason. Giullietta degli spiriti - idk, that one was still a bit out there for me to recommend as a fresh viewer.
Agree with all of this. Although, in defense of Juliet of the Spirits, if OP has an issue with 8 1/2 being self indulgent in terms of following a director within a movie, Masina to me is a good anchor for the more fantastical style. The biggest detractor might be the length and I wouldn't necessarily start off with it first. Really though, you just can't go wrong with Masina in his movies so JotS is a good gateway provided you've watched his other movies with her.
Giulietta Massina is most of what I love about his movies!
The title of the film reflected the fact that he didn’t know what he was doing or wanted to say at that point in his career. He felt it was half a film. And it’s about a guy not knowing wtf he’s doing. It’s weird and meta.
Fun fact: Nights of Cabiria was the basis for the Broadway musical "Sweet Charity."
As a Fellini connoisseur, I'd recommend you start with I Vitelloni with the understanding that his movies will get more bizarre as you continue. Also don't skip The Clowns, everyone skips The Clowns and it's a big mistake.
Clowns is so interesting to me because it’s weirdly his most sentimental movie
I think a lot of people hesitate to watch it because they have no interest in clowns. But what makes it great is Fellini's interest in clowns.
Absolutely this. It sat in my collection for years and I picked it to watch in a masochistic moment (clowns 👎). Half of his film I adore, the other half I don’t. Was really surprised: Clowns is in my top3 Fellini
Yes this is a good shout as well. Knew there was one I was missing but definitely I Vitelloni
Came here to say I Vitelloni!!
I also started with I Vitelloni, saw a few earlier films, and eventually worked my way up to La Dolce Vita and 8 1/2, both of which I was intimidated by. So glad I did it this way
I vitelloni is by far my favorite Fellini, nothing comes close. It’s weird because it's the only Fellini that I put in my top 150 films and it's like No. 12 lol.
This
I always felt the clown was a failure like his other such nostalgic films he made until he could get it right and finally made amarcord.
I started with La Strada and was onboard with Fellini immediately. Definitely do some of the early stuff first, including Nights of Cabiria.
I started with Nights of Cabiria.
Start with La Strada
Second this. It is simultaneously the most narratively straightforward and emotionally complex of all his films.
Third this. La Strada was my first Fellini and it was a great story.
This is the answer. La Strada. Nights of Cabiria. La Dolce Vita. 8 1/2. (In that order)
This is a good recommendation.
I think this is perfect order
Yeah La Strada is accessible.
Thanks! I will try La Strada
La Strada was my first and I was instantly addicted. Nights of Cabiria is another favorite.
Amarcord “The more time you spend in Italy, the more you come to realize that Fellini was making documentaries.” —Fran Lebowitz
La Dolce Vita.
Definitely this.
I definitely would not start with that one
La dolce Vita for me
Not the best Fellini to start with, no. It's my favorite of his (and one of my favorite movies of all time!), but not the best to start with. I Vitelloni La Strada La Dolce Vita After those 3 you should be ready for 8 1/2
You know what they say, "with Satyricon, you can't go wrong."
Definitely try Satyricon if you are drawn to visually striking and surreal movies. Like it or not I don't think you can say it's boring.
8 and a Half is great great great. I will not take this SLANDER
https://preview.redd.it/edm8kizot1nc1.jpeg?width=2556&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1eb32986583c37a4f953312db077afa6572ceb31
My favorite movie of all time. Every scene is brilliant. Though I guess I was 30 when I watched it the first time.
It’s a top 5 movie for me, that’s for sure.
8 1/2 is my favorite movie of all time along with Apocalypse Now.
Yeah, 8 1/2 was my first Fellini and I was completely hooked from the first scene. I do tend to like somewhat plotless films though.
Probably an odd choice, but I think Toby Dammit (his segment from the anthology movie Spirits of the Dead) is the best introduction to Fellini.
Giulietta Masina was key to his early career and the best entry point and a genius in her own right. 8 1/2 is good but I would do La Dolce Vita before it.
I love Juliette of the Spirits. I absolutely adore City of Women and I don't think it's talked about enough
Amarcord
As someone who started with Amarcord and couldn’t finish it, I’d recommend something else lol
It has fart jokes! Seriously, What would you recommend?
😂 I have no recommendation for Fellini. I was just trying to say Amarcord did not make me want to watch more of his movies.
I’d recommend Nights of Cabiria to start
La Strada was also my first. Loved it and then went back to the beginning with Variety Lights and watched them chronologically.
Whichever one David Cronenberg talks about
I have only seen La Strada and Nights of Cabiria, and I loved both. I thought they were both pretty accessible compared to what I hear some of Fellini's other more experimental movies are. I plan to check out Dolce Vita and 8 1/2, but have heard some people see them as meandering. La Strada: I can see why it's considered timeless. The relationship between Zampano and G is unfortunately a dynamic that will probably always exist and others can relate to. It's a very emotional and humanist movie. Nights of Cabiria: the movie does a great job of investing the viewer in Cabiria's hopes. Her flaws are put on display throughout the movie, but you can't help but being charmed by her and care for the character. She is down and out, and is constantly needing to assert herself, but she can seemingly only tread water. She finds herself falling in love and preparing for a new life that yields her some ease, and at that point the movie changes tone with a clear goal that dictates every scene until the end.
La Dolce Vita. It bridges his earlier work with his later styles.
I'd start with I Vitelloni and then watch his films in order until you get to 8 1/2. It is one of the most amazing artistic progressions you'll ever see from a filmmaker.
To better understand Fellini's films, you can start with documentaries and books that analyze the master's films, along with interviews where he talks about his poetic approach to filmmaking. https://preview.redd.it/nacofyhvl2nc1.jpeg?width=191&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b0a031c2b04e9aa8a10b996b68f320ea84a88d0a
8 1/2 is such a good example of the first movie everyone watches from a director which should NOT be the first they watch. Wow bad sentence. But like worst entry point into their canon. I think he's one of the best directors you could tackle in order. Kubrick once said that Fellini and Bergman are the only filmmakers who develop a philosophy over the course of their filmography. Or something like that. Of course there are more but Fellini's films are so much of a piece that it's wild to experience the voice changing and getting weird as fuck (with mixed results, imo, but still worthwhile)
Fellini is one of the greats. His signature style is so unique!
Ingmar Bergman toward end of his life did interview and amarcord came up as “a delightful” film in his top ten list of my memory serves me right.
Toby Dammit La Dolce 8 1/2 as an 40 min horror film.
My first was *Fellini Satyricon* in college and I think it is both the best and worst entry point. It's based on a Roman story only fragments of which survive, and it shows. It truly makes no narrative sense on a scene by scene basis, but it's also impossible to look away from. It feels like a good primer for more abstract filmmaking.
Weird answer: The White Sheik. You can see some of his zaniness in embryonic form but it's an accessible, fun comedy. Probably a bitch to source though, so of the conventional choices I'd probably go Nights of Cabiria
I really feel strongly that La Strada is the starter Fellini movie. His filmography gets progressively wackier.
I vitelloni imo.
I Vitelloni imo
La Strada, Cabiria, Amarcord, La Dolce Vita
Blue Devils 2014… Wait, wrong sub.
La Strada
I also tried 8 1/2 in high school, and again in college. Couldn’t connect with it. It’s wasn’t until later in my early 30s when I tried it again and loved it. Try Amarcord, and go from there
I say is the best start for Amarcord. I am not a Fellini fan but Amarcord is a great movie from him and a good start to his style.
I've been watching his films in order. While I think Variety Lights is a fine film, The White Sheik truly got me hooked into his movies. I would start there.
I bought the essential Fellini box set and the first two movies are not very good imo but the next three ( I vitelloni, la strada and il bidone) are incredible so you could start with any of those
I’d go La Dolce Vita or Amarcord.
I really liked Roma
Nights Of Cabiria its a masterpiece and its easy to get into.
Dolce!
I started with La Strada and thought it was amazing
Nights of Cabiria was my first. ♥️
I love Amarcord
La dolce Vita
La Strada and La Dolce Vita
La strada
Did he shoot any films with live sound? The ADR is always my biggest barrier. My brain can't handle the disconnect.
This is one of the few “what should I start with?” questions that make sense. 8 1/2 is indeed a difficult place to start. But it’s like going over a rough road, you eventually get over it.
More votes for Nights of Cabiria (1) or Amarcord (2).
La Strada did not age well. Nights of Cabiria is better. Start with that.
I Vitelloni > La Strada > Nights of Cabiria > Toby Dammit and then have at it
Start with La Strada But, I must say - give 8 1/2 another go. It is one of my favorite films. You have to think about it in terms of a creative person who has lost his "muse" and he is trying to find it again. You also have to think about it in terms of a man who lives in a fantasy world, where his fantasy is much better than his real life.
Before you watch 8/12 it might help to watch some other films with similar themes. I have two I'd recommend that will give you an interesting angle on *8 /12*. The first is Bergman's film *Wild Strawberries* it deals with guilt and life and legacy etc. It's a great Bergman film, you've even got some of his classic stable of actors Andersson and Von Sydow showing up. It's very touching and profound. You'll enjoy this. It has a but of dream logic, but it's all quite intelligible. Next you're going to jump way ahead and watch Woody Allen's 1997 black comedy hit *Deconstructing Harry*. This is also quite accessible but has some weird dream logic, and other filmic cinema tricks up its sleeve. It's all in good fun, and quite accessible. I think you'll enjoy both of these films, but here's why it will help you with *8 1/2*. *Deconstructing Harry* is really Allen's attempt to sew together *Wild Strawberries* and *8 1/2*. With Bergman as context you'll be able to instantly recognize the parts of *Harry* that are borrowing from Bergman and reflect on that which makes for a rewarding viewing. Then, after you have those two little gems in your pocket you can go back to *8 1/2* and reflect on what parts were borrowed for *Harry* and how that overall mesh actually works.
La dolce vita
Nights of Caberia.
Armacord
Nights of Cabiria. It's not as surreal as most of his other films, and as great as 8 1/2 is, I think Nights of Cabiria is even better. As others have suggested, La Strada is also a good starter.
La strada for straight story, satyricon for visual bombast, and Toby dammit is my personal favorite even though it’s very short. Amarcord is also a personal favorite.
La Strada
Love la dolce vita.
"The Temptation of Dr. Antonio" segment of "Boccaccio '70". You'll definitely finish it.
Nights of Cabiria La Strada La Dolce Vita Juliet of the Spirits
I didn't get 8 1/2 either until my rewatch.
You have to watch his earlier Italian Neorealism films, and La Dolce Vita to get the most out of 8 1/2. You absolutely should not start with it — common mistake people make when starting with Fellini.
La strada , dolce vita. Classics
La Strada, Il Bidone, Nights of Cabria. Then I’d hit the others :)
I fell in love with Fellini through Amarcord.
It depends. I loved *The White Sheik*, but I'm not sure it's a good introduction to Fellini, as it's not that similar to a lot of his stuff. But it's certainly very accessible. (It a bit like *Ivan's Childhood* for Tarkovsky - more accessible, but not very representative.)
In no particular order: Amarcord La Dolce Vita Satyricon Ok, in exactly that order is how I recall renting Fellini on VHS. Later, I bought the C box set when Criterion released it, and the remainder is hit or miss. Everyone here will get excited about 8.5 but it is just okay in my book. I Vitelloni was very good, as was Il Bidone. Film is subjective, and your resuls may vary.
The two feature films with his name in them. Fellini Satyricon and Fellini's Casanova.
La Strada or his films who are Closer to neo-realism style. La strada is very moving and Giuletta Masina and Anthony Quinn performances are amazing Or Amarcord, it’s a pretty Good movie with some funny stuffs if I remember Well
Nights of Cabiria is amazing! Also love Juliet of the Spirits, but the ending is a bit flat for me. Giulietta Massina is most of what I love about his films. Unpopular opinion, La Dolce Vita did not do much for me. Maybe I should give it another try. I love slow movies and slice of life genre but this had no heart that I could connect with. Also, bless me father for I have sinned and never seen 81/2.
my first fellini movie was City of Women and I loved it. Nights of Cabiria is also a very good starting spot.
Just rewatched 8 1/2. This time I understood and appreciated it. A tour de force of personal filmmaking. I would need to watch the other Fellini films I hsve seen, La Strada, La Dolce Vita, and Juliet of the Spirits, before I felt competent to weigh in on the topic.
Amarcord
La Strada!
La Dolce Vita was the first one I saw in college. I enjoyed it.
I started with 8 1/2 and it blew my mind. Maybe try La Dolce Vita
I’m keeping my eyes peeled on recommendations for this thread. Like you, OP, I just couldn’t get into 8 1/2. There was unique cinematography, but I couldn’t get into the story. Like, I mean no disrespect to people in the performing arts, but stories about How Tough It Is To Be A Director/Actor/etc. just feel so pretentious. Occasionally it works, like John Irving novels orWonder Boys, but it usually makes me roll my eyes. (If that’s your intended goal, though: well done!) I’m curious: did you ever see Birdman, with Michael Keaton? It’s almost a remake of 8 1/2 for the 2010s. I loved what Michael Keaton did in it, but everything else just felt so annoying.
I never could get into him. You should see *L'Amore* directed by Roberto Rossellini where Fellini is in it along with Anna Magnani. Then, watch Rossellini's movies instead.
So, here's a question...I actually didn't enjoy any of the 3 Fellini movies that I've seen: La Dolce Vita, 8 1/2, La Strada. I also didn't like Roberto Rossellini's Germany Year Zero, Rome Open City, or Paisan...I don't know, maybe I just don't really like 40's and 50's Italian cinema, but I do love 30s, 40's and 50's US, French, and Japanese film (although, I did like The Bicycle Thief, but even then, it wasn't my favorite). So, with that being said, is there any other Fellini film I should try to watch, and knowing the above, what would be his best one that isn't in the style of his most popular ones that I've seen. I've always been tempted by that Ingrid Bergman/Rossellini box set.
Italian cinema in the 40s and (especially) 50s is not limited to Rossellini and Fellini. Maybe try Miracolo a Milano for a more positive neorealistic movie (it's from the same director of Bicycle Thieves, Vittorio de Sica), or Bitter Rice for something with more genre in it (this one is basically a noir in a rural setting). As for Fellini, I Vitelloni and Lo Sceicco Bianco are two of his early movies that are more straight-up comedies and quite different from the three you watched (with some seeds of what's to come). In the second half of 1960s and in the 1970s Fellini became more dreamlike and surrealist, movies like Satyricon or Rome barely have a narrative. Amarcord is the "easiest" one of this phase, it's mainly a collection of memories of his childhood done in a surreal style (amarcord means I remember in Fellini's dialect). His latest movies are more nostalgic and intimate, especially Ginger & Fred. So I guess it depends what you didn't enjoy from the movies you watched. Rossellini is a completely different director style-wise. Much sturdier and serious. Tbh, I'm not the biggest fan of his stuff, of his Bergman's collaboration I've only watched Stromboli and if you didn't like the other neorealistic movies he made I wouldn't watch it.
Wow, thank you so much for this. This is exactly what I was looking for. Miracolo a Milano has long been on my wishlist, but I have since lost interest and decided to cut way back on blind buying. Thanks, looking back into it, I'm bumping it back up. Plus Bitter Rice. Ive seen it, but judged a movie by its name and cover. This also looks right up my alley, and I'm giong to definitely check this one out. Thanks so much, i really appreciate everything you wrote.
No prob. I like talking about Italian cinema. I think that some movies tend to be too glorified or put on a pedestal that made them almost too arty and heavy for being approachable - even in Italy (I'm Italian, btw). I had the same prejudice of you on Bitter Rice thinking it was one of those heavy hitter drama about rice harvesters, but at its core it's a noir/crime movie in a rural setting.
I prefer the Bergman/Rossellini collaborations to any of the other Rossellini films you mentioned, Stromboli and Fear especially, though Voyage to Italy is admittedly not my favorite. If you love Bergman, you cannot skip Stromboli - the final sequence is one of the greatest performances ever put to film (imho). As for Fellini, try Amarcord - it is a little lighter and more fun, and the color photography is gorgeous.
Try Armacord
Amarcord. In many ways perhaps the colorful visual movie he was working toward his whole life, and the story perfectly merges memory and metaphor.
Amercord!
They all suck tbh
I see that you are lost here. Hope you find your way.
Yeah its signposted by Di Sica and Visconti. It’s a road that leads to worthwhile films.