8 1/2 [Criterion Collection] [2 Discs]

Overview

"What's there to say about Federico Fellini's masterpiece that hasn't already been said? It's a classic, no doubt about it. If you've never had the pleasure to see the film before, feast your eyes on the Criterion Collection's two-disc DVD and enjoy the abundant digital goodies contained in it. Disc one contains the film, which has been appropriately letterboxed (1.85:1 enhanced), digitally remastered, and restored. Also included is a screen-specific commentary by film critic Gideon Bachmann and NYU Professor of Film Antonio Monda, an optional video introduction by director Terry Gilliam, who explains why he enjoys the film so much and why it remains his favorite Fellini experience. The transfer is exquisite, nicely showing off the film's beautiful black-and-white cinematography by the great Gianni di Venanzo. The film has never looked better on home video. The commentary track also makes this disc extremely worthwhile, as Bachmann and Monda detail every aspect of the film's production, as well as all of the many thematic, psychological, and personal layers that make the film so intriguing. As with the best commentary tracks, it's entertaining as well as informative. Think of it as a fantastic two-hour film course. Disc two continues the outstanding supplements by containing the 52-minute documentary ""Fellini: A Director's Notebook,"" which was originally made for television. The documentary is part fantasy, part reality, and all Fellini. It makes a great addition to the set. Also included on the disc is a very nice 48-minute documentary about Fellini's frequent collaborator, composer Nino Rota, that no fan should miss. In addition, the disc includes interviews with several names: famed cinematographer Vittorio Storaro, most famous for his work on Apocalypse Now and his stunning collaborations for many of Bernardo Bertolucci's films; actress Sandra Milo, who stars in 8 1/2; and director Lina Wertmuller, who was responsible for many controversial and much-talked about films of the '60s and '70s. The disc also contains a plethora of behind-the-scenes stills and production photos. Liner notes are also included with the set. So if you're thinking of adding a new DVD to your collection or wondering which Fellini film to start with, 8 1/2 makes for both a perfect addition and a worthwhile introduction to one of the supreme masters of the cinema."

Product Details

Release Date:	03/21/2010
UPC:	0037429135624
Original Release:	1963
Source:	CRITERION COLLECTION
Presentation:	[B&W, Wide Screen]
Sound:	[monaural, Dolby Digital]
Language:	English
Time:	2:18:00
Sales rank:	4,392

Special Features

New digital trasfer of restored film elements, enhanced for 16x9 televisions, with digital image restoration; Screen-specific audio essay featuring commentary by film critic and Fellini friend Gideon Bachmann and N.Y.U. professor of film Antonio Manda; Introduction by Terry Gilliam, director of "Brazil" and "12 Monkeys"; 22-page booklet featuring essays by Fellini, longtime Fellini collaborator and critic Tullio Kezich, and film professor and author Alexander Sesonske; Theatrical trailer; New and improved English subtitles; Optimal image quality; "Fellini: A Director's Notebook": a 52-minute film by Federico Fellini; "Nino Rota: Between Cinema and Concert": a 48-minute documentary about the maestro behind the music of Fellini's films; Interviews with actress Sandra Milo, director Lina Wertmüller, and cinematographer Vittorio Storaro, on the revolutionary art of Gianni di Venanzo; Rare photographs from the collection of Gideon Bachmann; Gallery of behind-the-scenes and production photos; Optimal image quality: RSDL dual-layer edition

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Marcello Mastroianni	Guido Anselmi
Claudia Cardinale	Claudia
Anouk Aimée	Luisa Anselmi(as Anouk Aimee)
Sandra Milo	Carla
Rossella Falk	Rossella
Barbara Steele	Gloria Morin
Madeleine LeBeau	Madeleine - l'attrice francese
Caterina Boratto	La signora misteriosa
Eddra Gale	La Saraghina(as Edra Gale)
Guido Alberti	Pace - producer
Mario Conocchia	Conocchia
Bruno Agostini	Bruno
Cesarino Miceli Picardi	Cesarino
Jean Rougeul	Carini -movie critic
Mario Pisu	Mario Mezzabotta
Yvonne Casadei	Jacqueline Bonbon
Ian Dallas	Il partner della telepata
Mino Doro	L'agente di Claudia
Nadia Sanders	Nadine - la Hostess(as Nadine Sanders)
Georgia Simmons	La nonna di Guido
Edy Vessel	L'indossatrice
Neil Robinson	Agent for French actor
Eugene Walter	The Journalist
Gilda Dahlberg	Journalist's Wife
Annie Gorassini	Producer's Girl Friend
John Stacy	Accountant
Mark Herron	Luisa's Admirer
Matilda Calnan	Older Journalist
Annibale Ninchi	Anselmi's Father
Giuditta Rissone	Anselmi's Mother
Olimpia Cavalli	Miss Olympia
Dina DeSantis	Two Young Girls in Bed
Tito Massini	The Cardinal
Maria Beluzzi	Screen-Test Candidate for La Saraghina
Polidor	Clown in the Parade
Nino Rota	Composer

Technical Credits

Federico Fellini

Ennio Flaiano

Brunello Rondi

Tullio Pinelli

Federico Fellini	Director,Screenwriter
Angelo Rizzoli	Producer
Ennio Flaiano	Screenwriter
Brunello Rondi	Screenwriter
Tullio Pinelli	Screenwriter

Editorial Reviews

After his international smash La Dolce Vita (1960), Federico Fellini found himself saddled with a case of director's block, inspiring him to make 8 1/2 (1963), about fictional director Guido Anselmi's case of director's block, that made visible the intimate workings of creativity. To reveal Guido's state of mind as he struggles with his filmmaking and multiple demands on his private life, Fellini seamlessly interweaves Guido's activities, fantasies, memories and dreams, doing away with any semblance of straight linear narrative structure in favor of Guido's surreally scattered psyche. In so doing, Fellini, like playwright Luigi Pirandello, reflexively examines the artistic process itself; Guido's turmoil paradoxically brings Fellini's eighth-and-a-half feature (the half stood for two shorts), to fruition. Internationally hailed as an innovative masterpiece, and a commercial success, 8 1/2 won Fellini his third Oscar for Best Foreign Film and inspired a generation of filmmakers with the singularly personal artistry that could only be described by the adjective "Felliniesque." Bob Fosse's All That Jazz (1979) and Woody Allen's Stardust Memories (1980) were their own 8 1/2s; Nine was the 1982 Broadway musical version.