Watching "Eight and a Half" again, I dropped the mentality of trying to understand something and sorted out the entire plot. The whole film is hearty and vivid. In the carnival of dreams and fantasies, I seem to have found the excitement and tremors that the film brought me at first, and the look and feel are subtly similar to the feelings that "Ulysses" brought me. Fellini and Joyce's two works I think are "made for themselves" in a way, and these people's portrayal of the subtle details of life is so genius that it makes people feel ashamed.
In addition to visible behaviors, words, and expressions, there are huge and trivial flowing consciousnesses. In fact, I think they are "pure reality" under reality. Guido in the film lives in the reality and fantasy at any moment, his consciousness is rampant, and he is exposed to the audience without any concealment.
After going on a date with his mistress and falling asleep, an old woman suddenly appeared on the wall of the house and was wiping something. The scene changed to a close-up, and the scene turned into a dilapidated tomb. Guido was like a dead parent telling his inner confusion, and his mother hugged him. Later, it turned into his wife's face, which also revealed his Oedipus plot. The magician deciphered the spell he had in mind, reminding him of the joyous childhood scenes of bathing with many children. The scene is the same as the house he fantasizes about his wives and concubines behind him, where every woman loves him.
These jumping scenes and real life interweave seamlessly, a multitude of meaningless crowd faces flashing before his eyes, and he is exhausted by countless chaotic conversations. Guido is always anxious, dazed and empty, as if forced into the constant happenings of his own life. He squatted down according to the rhythm of the phone ringing, liked to talk to himself and like to bite his nails, danced forward in the corridor, and sang a few onomatopoeia when he was irritable with the conversation... .These unconscious actions gave me the illusion of being spied on, Guido's emptiness and anxiety also increased exponentially, his short-lived calm and faint sadness only appeared in childhood, when his sister chanted a spell on him at night, The strong woman sings a sad song by the sea...He unconsciously reveals childlike helplessness and childishness, but it's cute.
Although the film is presented in a more humorous form, anxiety and madness are surging under this more cheerful rhythm. Those fantasies are bold and absurd, black-and-white but with circus-like colors and out-of-the-box madness. The further the film progresses, the more closely this anxiety-ridden fantasy and reality mingle, ultimately driving Guido's utter madness. Under the explosive interview and questioning, Guido shot himself. At this time, it was basically impossible to distinguish between fantasy and reality. The streamer was flying on the elevated building, and the performance continued. Countless people gathered together and danced in a carnival. Guido also joined in. The rhythm and plot reached the climax. When night fell, the symphony was gradually withdrawn after the clown band lined up to leave, but only the childhood Guido was left playing the flute in the picture. The film comes to an abrupt end in such a contrast, the complete compromise of madness and the reminiscence of simple childhood feel empty.
This is Fellini's eighth feature film, and the director's creative dilemma may also be frequent in his life. Any creator who is more sensitive to his own exploration than to the outside world, paints himself more, will Fellini be ashamed when he touches and traces his own soul? Do such delicate and tiny thoughts and behaviors come from self-reflection? This is just my guess. It's like doing a movie like this with a fucking sense of indulgence, candid, wanton, absurdly beautiful and naked. Although the narrative is frequent but smooth, it must require a lot of courage and absolute creativity. Movies are always the ideal carrier for dreaming, let me whisper a long live "Eight and a Half".
View more about 8½ reviews
