Fantasy, Dreams and Flashbacks in 8,5 Directed by Fellini - Movie Review Example

Evaluation of 8½ Introduction 8½ is a 1963 film directed by Federico Fellini. The story in the film revolves around the life of a renowned Italian film director who has eight and a half film to his name. The story shows the challenges, successes of the director and his typical days. In developing the film, Federico Fellini employs a number of appropriate film development techniques thereby succeeding in the development of realistic conflicts that sustain the plot to completion. The film won a number of awards most of which arose from the director’s appropriate use of cinematography and sound, mixing, and score among many others. The plot of the story covers a number of thematic issues, which the director succeeds in presenting by employing strategic film development techniques and elements as the evaluation below portrays. The story begins with Guido Anselmi, a well-known Italian director of films suffering from director’s block, sitting in a traffic jam but soon dreams his way out of the jam. Such is a condition in which an author or artist loses interest in developing new works thereby experiencing a creative slowdown. He experiences a number of dreams and flashbacks with some removing him from the traffic. The director lacks the motivation to work on a science fiction film thereby stalling the work. He frequently delves his fantasies and memories through the dreams and memories. The conflict in the film includes his disinterest in his works and marital difficulties. Dream, memory and fantasy are therefore major thematic issues in the film, which the author strives to portray using the various techniques key among which is cinematography. Cinematography refers to the use of cameras to capture motion pictures. The director of the film employs his directing genius as he uses appropriate camera handling techniques thereby creating a unique work that captures his ideas. He develops the film in black and white. Such is an effective feature that makes the film unique. Developing a film in black and white requires effective color balancing arising from appropriate lighting. The black and white color technique enhances the dreams and flashbacks in the film since they help remove the audience from reality. The black and white creates a perfect theme for the propagation of the fantasies and dreams of the main character in the movie. The black and white color technique makes the dreams, fantasies and memories look alike a feature that enhances the conflict in the film. Another equally important feature of cinematography, which the director of the film employs effectively, is camera movements. Camera movement enhances the portrayal of diversity in the film since different movements provide a unique feeling and experience to the film. The film opens with an establishing shot of Guido sitting in his car. The shot is strategic in providing adequate detail of the main character and his bored state in his car. The shot changes to a long shot of the traffic with the camera panning systematically to both sides of Guido’s car to show the intensity of the gridlock on the road. Panning is an appropriate camera movement that enables the developer of the film to introduce new elements into the frame. The panning helps intensify the opening conflict by showing the frustration that Guido faces while in the traffic. The developer of the film changes the shots methodologically with the view to capturing as many details as possible. He for example changes to close up shots of the other people using the road. They share Guido’s frustration and are not likely to understand him. The only way for the character to avoid the traffic at the tunnel is through one of his fantasies as he flies out of the car to the beach. Capturing the action at the beach requires appropriate camera movement and angling which the director employs strategically. He begins with a long shot of the beach thus capturing the entire breadth of the lengthy sandy beach. The flying Guido struggles to free himself from the rope tied around his ankle. Cinematography contributes to the success of the film by enhancing the portrayal of the themes. Depth of field and focus are yet other integral features that enhance the success of the film. The film developer ensures that he captures every element. He creates an appropriate background, middle ground and the fore ground for all the scenes in the film. This enhances the details in the numerous scenes. As the film begins for example, the developer includes such intricate features as the facial expression of the other characters sitting in the traffic alongside Guido. The same is the case with the action on the beach as the developer captures the movement of numerous other elements including the smooth flow of the waves and Guido’s expression at every instance. This way, the conflict develops naturally since every element in the frames enhances the conflicts. The same is the case with filters, lighting and special effects all of which the developer of the film uses strategically with the view to intensifying the portrayal of the fantasies, dreams and memories. The film begins with exceptional special effects as the developer strives to create the aspect of time in the frames. The special effects and filters shake systematically as though in traditional cinema. As explained earlier, Fellini strived to place the action in the film for an unspecified duration. His characteristic use of special effects and filters helps enhance the confusion surrounding the placement of the action in the film. This way, the developer of the film succeeds in using the special effects, lighting and filters to enhance the mood of every scene. This improves his portrayal of the themes of fantasies, dreams and memories. Scoring is an equally important film development technique the author employs in enhancing the various themes in the film. Scoring, also known as the background music refers to a sound used to accompany a film. The development of a film requires the use of effective sound tracks that enhance the themes. Fellini uses appropriate sound tracks that enhance the development of the themes in his film. Nino Rota developed systematic songs for the film thereby ensuring that every scene in the film had an appropriate sound track that enhanced the heightened. "La Strada” "Amarcord,”," "La Dolce Vita," and "Juliet of the Spirits" are some of the songs used as soundtracks in the songs. The soundtrack plays a significant role in influencing the mood of the very scene in the film. The appropriateness of the soundtracks helps create appropriate moods that complement such themes as dreams, fantasies and flashbacks. Acting refers to the role that various characters play in a film. Fellini employed professional actors who understood their roles. The level of their professionalism complemented the realistic plot thereby heightening the level of the conflicts in the film. The film begins in silence as the main actor occupies the scene in his car. The long shot shows the desperate situation of the actor as he sits in the traffic. However, as Guido begins fantasizing and begins flying out of the traffic so does a slow classic soundtrack begin to play. The soundtrack is systematic and enhances the development of a melancholic mood created by Guido desperate position as he strives to escape the traffic. In retrospect, film development techniques require the use of appropriate elements and film development techniques. Fellini uses a number of cinematographic techniques in his attempt to create a coherent film that communicates a number of themes. Fantasy, dreams and flashbacks are unique themes that require appropriate utilization of the various techniques in order to portray. Fellini creates the film in black and white besides using numerous other cinematographic techniques that succeed in creating appropriate moods in the various scenes in the movie thus enhancing the film’s ability to communicate the themes. Work cited Fellini, Federico. 8½ . Rome: Francinex, 1963. Film. Read More