The Wasteland Reviewer

The Wasteland Gems: 8 1/2 (1963)

How do you choose what to watch on all those streaming services you have access to? There are so many options that it is just overwhelming. These services constantly release new content and overshadow all the great films from the past that are already there and ready to watch. Now there is The Wasteland Gems! Here is a great film on streaming right now that you should check out this weekend:

8 ½ (1963)

How do you enjoy movies? You can be someone who exclusively watches for fun and entertainment. You will probably not watch many tense and depressing dramas just because they are good films. There is the type of people who are seeking emotional experiences. The fear of a horror film. The good cry from a depressing drama. The laughter of a comedy. There are so many states of being to enjoy. Then you have the cinephile. You are in it for the art form. You will probably seek out arthouse cinema and appreciate it for what is able to be done with the medium in creative ways. One of the most impressive arthouse films of all time is the Italian cinema classic 8 ½.

What makes 8 ½ such a towering achievement of filmmaking craft? There is a dreamlike and fluid feeling to this cinematic experience. Director Federico Fellini is one of the all-time great filmmakers and he was one of the most influential figures in the Italian Neorealism movement post-WWII. He had such a great handle of earthly humanistic stories that are mixed impressively with fantastical elements. 8 ½ is one of the most impressive examples of this film movement. There is a Baroque style to all the photography in the film that is crisp and gorgeous to look at. This film is 138 minutes long and it is filled with plenty of amazing visual elements. The black-and-white cinematography is striking and gorgeous. The camera moves through space in a sleek and engrossing way. Each scene feels disjointed and disconnected in a dreamlike way. 8 ½ might not have a strong traditional narrative but it is engrossing in a gorgeous and artistic way.

What is the key theme that anchors the audience down in this artful film? If you have ever tried to create before, you understand the feeling of not having the motivation and vision for what you want to do. That writer’s block can be truly debilitating throughout the process as you get lost in your own head and cannot channel your ideas into something concrete. Fellini channels this frustration and wandering mind into the narrative (no matter how loose it is) if 8 ½. We follow filmmaker Guido Anselmi as he retreats into the recesses of his mind and experiences. Dreams and fantasy come to life on screen as Guido struggles with coming up with his next project. Such an intimate and introspective exploration makes this a compelling and engaging cinematic experience. Abstraction is a consistency in this Fellini classic which makes it so different and interesting at the same time.

What is the anchor to this whole abstract and thought-provoking experience? Marcello Mastroianni. Fellini’s leading man brings a cool and suave aesthetic to this picture as he fills every scene with a slick sense of fashion and an inquisitive demeanor. That perfectly fitted black suit, and cool sunglasses give Guido that right sense of collective cool which is in stark contrast to the disheveled and wandering mind inside that head of his. The way Mastroianni peers over those sunglasses is the essence of cool. But Mastroianni is supported by a talented crew of women who bring even more life to both Guido’s existence as well as the film’s story as well. This is an Italian man of course…he certainly has a way with women and his whole existence is filled by them. Mastroianni shows why he is one of Italian cinema’s greatest leading men and Fellini knows how to leverage his talent.

Are you ready for one of the most abstract and thought-provoking cinematic experiences of your life? Fellini created a striking and engrossing exploration of writer’s block as well as the exploration of one’s own past. Crisp and gorgeous filmmaking. Fantastic and creative visuals. A leading performance that anchors the whole thing down. 8 ½ is a wondrous feat of cinematic expression that must be seen to fully appreciate.

8 ½ is streaming on Criterion Channel