New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

Fellini's Amarcord

post #1 of 5
3/30/09 at 12:33am
Thread Starter 
Just saw the 35th anniversary rerelease of Fellini's Amarcord. I remember seeing a review by Siskel and Ebert way back in 74 and have wanted to see it ever since. Have others seen it and how do you rate it among Fellini's other films? I'm up for renting more Fellini since Amarcord just whetted my appetite.
Reply
post #2 of 5
4/9/09 at 6:42pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by chiana View Post
Just saw the 35th anniversary rerelease of Fellini's Amarcord. I remember seeing a review by Siskel and Ebert way back in 74 and have wanted to see it ever since. Have others seen it and how do you rate it among Fellini's other films? I'm up for renting more Fellini since Amarcord just whetted my appetite.

I think Amarcord is universally considered to be Fellini's last great masterpiece. I've seen some of his later stuff like City of Women, and And the Ship Sails On, and while good don't hold a candle to Amarcord.

I haven't seen any of his early neo-realist films, but would suggest starting with Nights of Cabiria and go chronologically from there.

My personal favorite from this period is 8 1/2 with La Strada and La Dolce Vita tying for a close second.

8 1/2 and Juliet of the Spirits would make a fine double feature, since there themes play very well off of each other.

I would also recommend Fellini's Satyricon and Roma, but not until after you get accustomed to his style, as both of these films are very indulgent and not too heavily reliant on narrative.

Satyricon is an adaptation of a long lost Roman epic. When the book was discovered it was published in the most completed form possible, which was not very. Full pages, and sequences were missing, and Fellini uses this framework to make a film that feels more like a dream than a movie.
Reply
post #3 of 5
4/10/09 at 11:14am
If you want more Fellini, start with I vitelloni, which shares a lot of Amacord's themes and story points, in that it's also about the fun and interesting characters of a city, and both are partially based on Fellini's childhood and early adult life. It's also one of his first masterpieces (and he does have quite a few), so it's good to just follow his movies in chronology from there.

As you get around La Dolce Vita, start reading up on Fellini. Dolce Vita, 8 1/2, and Julliet of the Spirits include a lot of references to his personal life, and some of the movies can come off as confusing or empty without really understanding the director.

Roma is a fantastic movie, that has a lot of the feel of Amacord, but I don't know how well it would hold up for someone who hasn't been to that city. And, unfortunately, the DVD is not anamorphic, but the film itself looks amazing. I hope that you either caught Amacord on a big screen, or the Criterion re-issue of the movie (the two disc one, with the best Criterion cover yet!).
Reply
post #4 of 5
4/29/09 at 2:49am
Thread Starter 
Thanks for answering my questions. It took me some time to get back here since I had personal problems for several weeks. Now I'm in the mood for movies again. i think I will try Fellini in chronological order if that's possible.
And I did get to see Amarcord on the big screen. It was great.
Reply
post #5 of 5
5/2/09 at 3:36pm
I love this movie. The setting is rich and immersive. The characters are memorable and sympathetic. The cinematography is astounding. Its sense of humanity and how we relate is profound. This is the movie to watch when you're depressed.
Reply
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home