He is soon yanked back to earth, and the film’s proper begins by introducing him as a jaded film director. Guido, the movie’s protagonist, ascends into the sky from his car and floats away. O ften thought of as Fellini’s definitive statement, the film opens in traffic gridlock. Federico Fellini (all images courtesy the Criterion Collection, unless otherwise stated) 8½ (1963) Here are five films (all currently streaming online) that show off his dazzling bravura.įrom 8 1/2 (1963), dir. Inspirational or insufferable, Fellini asserted an indelible influence. His was a celebratory type of masculinity and entitlement, where women must seek adoration or, if implicated in men’s fantasies, submit to desire. Pliant to his imagination, male characters are often torn between creative integrity and superficial love. He imposed ideals of grace and decorum on his creations. His Machiavellian control produced delectable visions. Revisiting Fellini’s extensive oeuvre on the centenary of his birth presents me with their panoramic elegance, yet their chauvinism is equally disturbing.įellini fine-tuned the profession of auteur, making a movie a personal journey, a dynamic montage where time is caressed, mise-en-scène enchanted, and every take a ballet. They make frequent appearances on lists of the best movies of all time and major directors such as Lina Wertmüller and Stanley Kubrick champion their influence. 1979 (image via Wikimedia Commons)Įxquisitely choreographed, Federico Fellini’s works sparkle with ingenuity. From left: Renzo Rossellini, Daniel Toscan du Plantier and Federico Fellini on the set of City of Women, ca.

Best federico fellini films