The Coolest Film Ever Made?
Our Next Film & Live Discussion
In a 2023 article from Adam Scovell, he poses this question: Is Federico Fellini's 8 1/2 the coolest film ever made?
I am eager to hear your answer after you watch the film!
The classic 1963 film from Italian master, Federico Fellini, has been endlessly referenced, imitated, and praised/critiqued. It is autobiographical, surreal, confusing, mesmerizing–both sleek and bloated.
Fellini made this chaotic masterpiece after struggling with writer’s block following the success of La Dolce Vita. The central figure of 8 1/2 is Guido, a film director struggling with writer’s block himself. The film continually jumps between reality, dream, and fantasy and between past and present with no cues or warnings. It is an intentionally jumbled mess of genius.
More than anything else, it is a film about filmmaking. And any film about filmmaking is also a film about the nature of storytelling and the mysterious role of art in general.
"8 1/2 is the best film ever made about filmmaking." –Roger Ebert
I am very excited to rewatch this masterpiece and discuss it with those who can attend on Saturday, June 22nd. I am guessing that this would be an easy film to find at your local library. You can also stream it via the following apps:
Fellini was very influenced by both Freud and Jung, and that is very significant in this particular self-referential film. Next Monday’s newsletter will include a video discussing some of these influences.
Here is last week’s very informative discussion of Stories We Tell with Dr. Jennifer Holberg:
My next series called THE CHRISTIAN IMAGINATION will begin in September. If you have not done so yet, please TAKE A QUICK SURVEY HERE to help me plan.
FINAL FILM DISCUSSIONS:
Discussion Dates:
**All discussions are Saturday at 2 pm ET**
Saturday, June 22: 8 1/2
Saturday, June 29: Crimes and Misdemeanors*
Saturday, July 13: Everything Everywhere All at Once
* I decided to go ahead and include Crimes and Misdemeanors because you can find it at your local library or you can watch it in parts on Youtube (admittedly, not ideal).
That’s it for now! Enjoy Fellini!
