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Star Cast

8½
  • 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, il produttore
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  • Director:
    Federico Fellini
  • Producer:
    Angelo Rizzoli
  • Music:
    Nino Rota
  • Screenplay:
    Ennio Flaiano, Tullio Pinelli
  • Story:
    Federico Fellini
  • Genres:
    Drama, Fantasy
  • Certification:
    General audiences
  • Status:
    Completed
  • Soundmix:
    Mono
  • Also known as:
    Eight and a Half (UK) (alternative spelling) (USA) (alternative spelling)
    8 1/2 (Italy) (alternative spelling)
    8½ (Italy) (alternative spelling)
    Federico Fellini's 8 1/2 (USA)
    Federico Fellini's 8½ (USA) (complete title)


Plot Summary

8½

Famed director Guido Anselmi is working on his latest movie - part science fiction, part commentary on Catholicism, but most importantly primarily autobiography. Despite Anselmi declaring that this movie should be an easy one to make, he is having problems with his artistic vision, specifically as he does not want to tell a lie on screen. From the stress, he has checked himself into a spa to help him with many of his problems, both professional and personal.

As he works through these problems, he reminisces about his childhood and fantasizes about how he either sees things playing out or how he hopes they will play out. Surrounding him at the spa and/or on set are many of the real life people who will be portrayed on screen including: his wife Luisa who he loves but who he does not fully understand especially as it relates to their marriage; his mistress Carla, the antithesis of Luisa; and an actress named Claudia who he sees as providing his ultimate salvation.

Goofs

8½
  • Continuity: A man tells Guido that he has placed something in his right-hand pocket (a gun), when he goes to shoot himself under the table, he pulls it out of his left pocket.
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for 8½

Trivias

8½
  • The title refers to the number of movies Federico Fellini had directed up until that point - six features, two short (1/2) films and "half a picture" ("Luci del Varieta'" his first, co-directed with Alberto Lattuada), for a total of 7 1/2. So this one is number 8 1/2.
  • The film's working title was "La Bella Confusione", i.e. "The Beautiful Confusion".
  • Federico Fellini attached a note to himself below the camera's eyepiece which read, "Remember, this is a comedy."
  • Was the basis for the Broadway Musical "Nine", which won the Tony for best musical in 1982 and for best musical revival in 2003.
  • At one point, Federico Fellini wanted to cast Laurence Olivier in the lead role.
  • In 2002, named by "Positif" (France) as one of the 50 best films of the last 50 years (critics' choice: #3)
  • Italian censorship visa # 39461 delivered on 6-2-1963.
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for 8½

Awards

8½
  1. Oscar
    Event: Academy Awards, USA
    Result: Won
    Category: Best Costume Design, Black-and-White
    Recipient(s): Piero Gherardi
  2. Bodil
    Event: Bodil Awards
    Result: Won
    Category: Best European Film (Bedste europæiske film)
    Recipient(s): Federico Fellini
  3. Kinema Junpo Award
    Event: Kinema Junpo Awards
    Result: Won
    Category: Best Foreign Language Film
    Recipient(s): Federico Fellini
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for 8½


8½

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