8 1/2

Federico Fellini’s classic film, 8 ½, is considered a great classic film. Like La Dolce Vita, 8 ½ share some commonalities. For example, both movies portray their main characters having women issues and affairs run wild. Many American directors have been influenced by Fellini’s films, especially 8 ½ and have attempted to emulate his style. In some of Fellini’s films, he used a multitude of women to give the main male character somewhat of a headache. American film director Woody Allen directed and stared in Stardust Memories, which was a film that portrayed the life of a film director based similar women issues from 8 1/2. In Stardust Memories, the film director, Sandy Bates, is married, but has an affair with another woman, the same way that Guido has an affair with another woman. Stardust Memories, which was filmed in 1980 was filmed in black and white to mimic 8 ½ even more.
The scene at the end of 8 ½ where Guido attempts to shoot himself while crawling under a table and ends with all the movie characters doing a circus skit was a crazy ending, much like many other films during the 1960’s. Another 1960’s film with a crazy, wacky ending was Stanley Kubrick’s Dr. Strangelove, where nuclear war was imminent and would destroy mankind. These two movies are polar opposites in themes and political issues, but the outrageous sense of comedy at the end of the films are very similar. Overall, 8 ½ was a landmark film for future film makers to replicate and is still enjoyed by a movie audiences world wide.

Mary Brock