I don’t know how to pick my Fellini movies. 8 ½ felt right as my first one. It’s the one that seems to be referenced the most and I recognized the structure from other films and shows. After that, it’s less clear. I have the mostly clean slate, so I could start from the beginning. I’m not sure that I’ll like him enough to want to do that though. He has a bunch of famous titles, but I know little about them. So, I took a shot in the dark and tried La Strada. I didn’t love it, but it certainly felt like an Italian film from that era. I wasn’t expecting to see American actors in some of the roles, but I guess it was easy since dubbing in post-production was common practice at the time.
Obviously, Giulietta Masina carries the movie with her simple and quiet performance. It’s interesting to think about how that performance couldn’t exist anymore. I feel like any attempt to do it now would lean too close to Forrest Gump*. Masina pulls back the exact right amount to make the character work.
*While I love Forrest Gump, I fully admit that it’s a role that can no longer be attempted. In my mind, it has grandfathered itself into acceptability.
Two films in, Fellini remains in that “Great filmmaker; their movies do nothing for me” category. Hopefully that will change in time.
Verdict: Weakly Don’t Recommend
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