Federico Fellini

[Lino]

I didn't know there was a longer version. What was cut out from the one it's currently being sold by MGM?

[Dylan]

I didn't know there was a longer version. What was cut out from the one it's currently being sold by MGM?

From IMDB:

The Italian version has only a few voiceovers by Federico Fellini at the beginning of some scenes. The english-language version features an additional first person narration through most of the film giving more background information to help non-italian viewers. This voiceover starts immediately during the title credits informing the viewer that the film they're about to see doesn't have a 'story' in the traditional sense with plot and characters, but is a semi-documentary about a city.

Scenes featuring appearances by Marcello Mastroianni, Alberto Sordi as themselves (being interviewed during the "Trastevere" segment) have been removed from most non-italian versions and from the italian TV version. They are also missing from the R2 DVD published in Italy by Istituto Luce.

It's now been several years since I've seen Roma, and when I see it again I'd like it to be this longer cut. I do wonder if this is a possibility for Criterion (along with the magnificent extended version of his masterpiece Il Bidone).

[origami_mustache]

Just watched Fellini's Roma. I love the plotless, fragmented style, and there are some great scenes and stunning imagery as should be expected, but this didn't work as well for me as Amarcord (perhaps my favorite Fellini). It seemed to lack the nostalgic emotional connection. Fellini just gets a little too preoccupied with pageantry and self indulgence here I think.

[Ovader]

Anyone has seen The Mysterious Journey of F. Fellini by Maite Carpio? I found the following description at the American Cinematheque.

During the summer of 1965, Federico Fellini began writing a script for an epic film called THE JOURNEY OF G. MASTORNA. It was the story of a musician, G. Mastorna, who, following the emergency landing of a plane he was travelling in, and discovers he is really dead. The producer of this ghostly project was Dino De Laurentiis. After two years of hard work, the set was under construction, the troupe was ready, Dinocittà at his complete disposal… but, mysteriously, Fellini decided to give up. The film was never to be made. Why? What caused the director to make such an unbelievable decision? Mastorna’s ghost, however, never abandoned Fellini’s side. "It is a story that has kept me company for almost thirty years…" – Fellini.

If anyone has seen this film was there anything new discovered about the project that hasn't been said in the various books and documentaries such as I'm A Born Liar and Fellini: A Director’s Notebook? I wonder if the rights to Mastorna have been bought as has happened for the Journey To Tulum project I mentioned here? I don’t envy anyone for taking on such fabled projects with all of the expectations associated with Fellini’s canonical works.

[Antoine Doinel]

The Academy will launch a new exhibit based on Fellini's journals, notes and caricatures in January at their Beverly Hills headquarters.

[Noiretirc]

I admired, but didn't care for, "Satyricon" when I first saw it, but I saw it again over the summer and it blew me away. Now I think it's one of Fellini's greatest films. Giuseppe Rotunno's photography (the only 2.35:1 film he shot for Fellini) is gorgeously painterly. Nino Rota's score is strange and ingenius. And above all, Fellini's presentation of the material is absolutely fascinating. I could watch it several times and never tire of it, in fact (like most of his films) it can only get better. It's strangely beautiful.

First of all, it is shocking to find so little Fellini at CriOrg. (Or did I miss something?)

Secondly, I completely agree with this assessment of Satyricon. I just couldn't absorb any of it at first, but it haunted me, and after a couple of further false starts and complete viewings, I came to realize that this Glorious Monstrousity is Fellini at his most daring, creative, adventurous.....

I adore 8 1/2 and La Dolce Vita. But Satyricon is the ultimate full on assault on my senses. I must simply submit to it every time I see it, and let this tsunami of a film wash over me, and carry me away. I cannot fight it or conquer it. It draws me in and spits me out, and I'm in a complete pile afterwards.

A loose, fragmentary manner. Seafood and red wine. Roman history and mythlore. Freaks Squared. Parties and naked fat chicks, Man! And the colour.....oh the magnificent feast of colour..... Who could ask for anything more?

This is Fellini's White Album. Everything plus the kitchen sink too. Yes it is completely over the top. So sue him.

Dammit....it's Christmas/New Years soon.....the perfect time for another viewing of Satyricon......

[Mr Sausage]

First of all, it is shocking to find so little Fellini at CriOrg. (Or did I miss something?)

Well the forum had to be restarted twice in the past and all the info was lost on both occasions, so the amount of Fellini posts here isn't necessarily representative of the amount he's been talked about. You can check out the threads for his individual films in the collection for more discussion, and his thread in the filmmakers subforum, if you haven't already.

[Tommaso]

A loose, fragmentary manner. Seafood and red wine. Roman history and mythlore. Freaks Squared. Parties and naked fat chicks, Man! And the colour.....oh the magnificent feast of colour..... Who could ask for anything more?

All true, but this collection of half-mythical stories, its rambling and somewhat unconnected manner, the visual magnificence and of course the nudity reminds me a lot of the mythical films of Pasolini ca. the same time (especially "Edipo Re" and "Medea", structurally also the "Trilogia"), and I can't help finding that these Pasolini films have a tighter construction, and not least a far deeper purpose and meaning. Much as I like "Satyricon", its ultimately an 'empty' or at least somewhat narcissistic film.

[Yojimbo]

I admired, but didn't care for, "Satyricon" when I first saw it, but I saw it again over the summer and it blew me away. Now I think it's one of Fellini's greatest films.

... I completely agree with this assessment of Satyricon. I just couldn't absorb any of it at first, but it haunted me, and after a couple of further false starts and complete viewings, I came to realize that this Glorious Monstrousity is Fellini at his most daring, creative, adventurous...

I remember 'Satyricon' was the first Fellini I recall being screened at my very first Art House cinema, about 30 years ago, but that was shortly before I joined. I still haven't seen it, though I have it on VHS.

My favourite Fellini is still 'I Vitelloni' (one of my most watched films, never mind 'Foreign Language' films)

howsabout a double bill of Satyricon with 'Salo'?

[tartarlamb]

A loose, fragmentary manner. Seafood and red wine. Roman history and mythlore. Freaks Squared. Parties and naked fat chicks, Man! And the colour.....oh the magnificent feast of colour..... Who could ask for anything more?

All true, but this collection of half-mythical stories, its rambling and somewhat unconnected manner, the visual magnificence and of course the nudity reminds me a lot of the mythical films of Pasolini ca. the same time (especially "Edipo Re" and "Medea", structurally also the "Trilogia"), and I can't help finding that these Pasolini films have a tighter construction, and not least a far deeper purpose and meaning. Much as I like "Satyricon", its ultimately an 'empty' or at least somewhat narcissistic film.

I see where you're coming from -- the film is a mess. A decadent whirlpool of the grotesque, with bits and pieces borrowed from Petronius, Apuleius, and Fellini sci-fi circus. I'm not sure if this film is narcissistic, but it certainly is indulgent (but, hey, its Fellini, right?).

But I adore Satyricon. For all of its departures from the source material, in narrative and otherwise, the quality of the film is remarkably faithful to the spirit of Petronius. The interpretive choices are odd (why is the centerpiece of the existing novel, the Cena Trimalchionis, such a small part of the film?), but satire is about food, urban culture, and restraint, or lack thereof. And Fellini's movie is a banquet of a movie -- its so sensual, so filled to the brim with images and ideas that the viewer feels what Petronius's Encolpius conveys so well in the novel: gradual intoxication and being glutted -- in the most passive sense possible. Fellini is a bit like Trimalchio stuffing his garish, sloppy film down your throat like a forkload of roasted Apulian boar. By the time the freedmen start cutting up and gobbling the corpse of their dominus, you feel a bit drunk, a bit motion sick, and a lot like vomiting. Glorious.

[AtlantaFella]

Has anyone here viewed the Infinity Arthouse release of Orchestra Rehearsal? I finally watched my Fox Lorber disc last night and it was absolutely tragic... washed-out transfer, non-anamorphic, and laughable subtitle translations.

The scant information I can find online about the IA hasn't been much help except to specify that that release is also non-anamorphic (which I can abide if the picture and subtitles are substantially improved). Thanks for any insights.

[Claes]

I have it, it looks fine. I'm not particulary picky about these things so mayby I'm not the right person to ask, but I do watched it on a big screen (88') and the viewing experience was ok.

[AtlantaFella]

Thanks. I'm pondering a purchase of the IA set that includes Orchestra Rehearsal, And the Ship Sails On, and Ginger and Fred along with the La Felliniana documentary series (currently available for GBP 8.89 at sendit) .

My quandary is that I already own the R1 releases of all three features and am not sure I want to clutter my shelves with a bunch of redundant titles if the improvement isn't appreciable.

It boggles my mind that these later works haven't gotten better treatment from someone, anyone. And where, or where is the Blu-ray love for Fellini?

[Gregory]

If I were you I'd definitely hold out for better releases, especially since you have these titles already. GBP 8.89 is cheap, but Orchestra Rehearsal is not in its original aspect ratio and I don't believe it's a substantial improvement over the Fox Lorber (though I have not watched the Fox Lorber in years). And The Ship Sails On is non-anamorphic, as well. Perhaps Criterion will revisit this one eventually, but my guess is that reissuing the more celebrated Fellinis on Blu-Ray will be likely to take priority over giving the (non-Amarcord) later films better releases.

[AtlantaFella]

Thanks for the insights; I suppose I will take a chill pill for now. Maybe if Nine is released later this year it will inspire some renewed focus on Fellini. Here's hoping.

[Werewolf by Night]

Cherry Red in the UK has released the first CD in a series of Nino Rota's music for Fellini's films.

[Dick Laurent]

Ooh nice, you know how many there will be in total, can't find anything on the cherry red website.

On a side note, why on earth is there no DVD of La vocce della lune, there is one, but no subtitles and my Italian is not that good. Some people say it's not really good, but I really want to see the combination of Fellini/Benigni. Is there some rights issue outside of Italy, or is it really that bad?

[Dylan]

Cherry Red in the UK has released the first CD in a series of Nino Rota's music for Fellini's films.

Thanks for the info! To my knowledge, this is the first release of the original recordings of The White Sheik and I Vitelloni, and the selections from La Strada sound a lot better than the early nineties Legend CD release in Italy.

[AWA]

I haven't seen these posted in this thread, so I'm assuming this might be new to some readers here and thus be a worthwhile addition to this ongoing yarn of Fellini chatter.

Fellini's Campari commercial, filmed in 1984 (seemingly during breaks in filming for And The Ship Sails On or shortly thereafter, as both feature the splendid Victor Poletti looking much as he does in ATSSO). This was titled Oh, che bel paesaggio! (“Oh, what a beautiful landscape!”)

Fellini's Barilla pasta commercial, also filmed in 1984, titled Alta Societa (“High Society”).

And by far the best of the bunch:

Fellini's Banco di Roma commercial, which, filmed in 1991 and released in 1992, is one of the last things he ever did. Here is a better quality version but without subtitles. Fellini made three in a series of these commercials, called Che Brutte Notti or “The Bad Nights.” These commercials were based on various dreams Fellini sketched in his dream notebooks during his career.

[Dylan]

I'm surprised this hasn't already been mentioned (then again, I didn't know about it until visiting Scarecrow Video last week), but the Universal Vault Series released Fellini's Casanova last month. Upon examination, the only language option is Italian and there are no extras. I will assume the print comes from the same source (restored print supervised by Giuseppe Rotunno) of the recent Blu Ray.

[andyli]

You mean the Carlotta blu-ray? That one was not very recent.

[Dylan]

I didn't check but it certainly didn't feel like that release was over three years ago (maybe I myself didn't know about it until one year ago - there was a while I lost track of what was being released unless there was fanfare for it on this forum). I don't have it, but it looks very good from the screen captures, and I have to guess the Universal DVD comes from the same source. Fellini's Casanova was actually shown in 35mm in Seattle back in 2009, I believe, but it was one night only and I missed it. Although not without problems, I strongly feel that this was Fellini's last great film so I would recommend everybody who likes his work check it out now that it's readily available. It also has in my opinion Nino Rota's very best score.

[J Adams]

Wouldn't want this with the Italian dub of Sutherland.

[Dylan]

Wouldn't want this with the Italian dub of Sutherland.

Like all Italian films featuring American/British stars in lead roles - The Leopard being a very good example - it's a toss up. You either watch the English dub with the lead actor doing the real voice and the rest of the cast dubbed, or the Italian track with the lead actor dubbed but everybody else speaking their own language. Fellini's Casanova being the bizarre film that it is, I think it works both ways, but I'm surprised Universal didn't offer the English track.

[Ovader]

After all these years I did some searching online for the Journey To Tulum project as mention here by me and by Dylan resulting in this video teaser on Vimeo. The link does not work but I came across their Facebook Page and their Twitter account which seems to have been abandoned since July 2011 but I thought some people may be interested to learn more of this project in spite of the delayed status.