Buy It Now: 8 1/2 (The Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray]

Dir. Federico Fellini

Rating: 8.5  |  0 User Reviews  |  Send to Friend

By Lance Duroni

Federico Fellini’s Oscar-winning masterpiece probably resembled a self-indulgent, autobiographical mess on paper. The story of a director beset by artistic confusion and drowning in a flood of beautiful Italian women could hardly hope to establish a connection with your average Giuseppe. But Fellini’s knack for splattering the human subconscious across the silver screen makes this movie far more than a behind-the-scenes tale of filmmaking -- it’s a bona fide work of art.

Guido Anselmi (Marcello Mastroianni) has two major problems as he begins production on his latest film: first, he is haunted by vivid and bizarre dreams that seem to be stunting his creativity; second, both his wife and his mistress are on location. The intersection of these dilemmas forces Guido to face his innermost demons, from the repression of his Catholic upbringing to the guilt over his many affairs. Dream sequences weave in and out of the story effortlessly, serving as a powerful reminder that old-school cinematographic tricks can be just far more poignant and startling than much of today’s CGI wizardry.

There is little point in lavishing further praise on an established classic, so we’ll get to the burning question: What, pray tell, does the Blu-ray format have to offer a film that is almost 50 years old? While there is only so much that can be done to enhance the technical audio and visual details, Blu-rays also offer a cavernous amount of space for extras -- something of which this Criterion Collection edition takes full advantage. Think of it as a film class in a box: There are three separate documentaries included, one of which is a nearly hour-long investigation into the lost alternate ending to the film. Another focuses on Fellini’s long-time composer, Nino Rota. There are also multiple interviews with cast and crew, audio commentary from a film critic and an NYU film professor, as well as an introduction from Terry Gilliam. If you are a sucker for print media, it also comes with a snappy booklet with writings by Fellini and essays by critics.


At the end of the day, this Blu-Ray edition is an absolute trove for serious film buffs. For everybody else, its many extras will offer little more than labored over-analysis of a masterpiece that should speak for itself.

0 User Reviews

Add A Review

Want to leave a review? Please login or register with two.one.five! Registered users will have automatic access to exclusive two.one.five promotions, contests and events!