REVIEW: New 35mm print of Fellini’s ‘8½’ premieres in NYC
Photo: 8½ stars Marcello Mastroianni in a career-defining performance. Photo courtesy of Janus Films / Provided by press site with permission.
NEW YORK — Thanks to a brand-new 35mm print, struck from the original negative, New York City audiences can enjoy a crisp, clear viewing of Federico Fellini’s classic meta-movie 8½, now playing an extended run at the Film Forum on Houston Street. The movie follows the character of Guido Anselmi (frequent Fellini star Marcello Mastroianni) as he struggles with life, love and art. He’s unable to figure who he loves and wants to spend time with, and he’s equally troubled by a bout of writer’s block, or director’s block. His latest cinematic project is stalled, and he cannot seem to gather the enthusiasm or creativity to finish the job.
8½ has been called the best movie about the movies, and it’s no wonder such a label has been attached to the picture. Fellini, who directed and co-wrote the screenplay, offers a playful and passionate portrait of what it’s like to have an idea spring from one’s mind and come to life in front of the camera. In his cinematic thesis, one’s personal life is inextricably tied to one’s professional life. Inspiration can be found in reality, and then that motivation is brought to the fictional world that Guido is trying to convey. Eventually truth and counterfeit are meshed together with blurred lines separating the two.
Guido is a definite stand-in for Fellini himself, which makes 8½ perhaps the most personal film of the Italian auteur’s career. Certainly it’s the one picture that tries to understand what made the director tick and why he made some of his celebrated choices over the years.
Enough cannot be written about Mastroianni’s central performance, which is funny, flirtatious and commanding. He’s a broken man for much of the feature, but he also has bursts of joviality and inspired fun. He’s cool and collected one moment, and then coming undone the next. It’s one of the actor’s best performances, which is saying something given his legendary filmography.
The new 35mm print is a beautiful thing to behold at the Film Forum. The images, in stark black and white, pop off the screen with a crispness that cannot be achieved with an archival print that would be 70 years old at this point. But because this is 35mm, there’s still that nostalgic look to the film (on real film!) that cannot be replicated with DCP.
Ticket buyers should be aware that this new 35mm print features laser-etched English subtitles in white with no black edges to the letters, which means anytime those subtitles appear over a white background, the words are lost. Film Forum predicts that approximately 15 percent of the subtitles fall victim to this white-on-white issue. This reviewer had no problem following the movie, and Fellini aficionados probably know the narrative so well that they could ignore some of the translated dialogue. Still, if missing subtitles is an issue, there are DCP screenings scheduled as well.
No matter which format attendees choose, they should consider buying tickets in advance. Screenings are selling out as this seems to be the indie hit of the month in New York City.
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
8½ (1963). In Italian with English subtitles. Directed by Federico Fellini. Starring Marcello Mastroianni. Running time: 138 minutes. 35mm and DCP available. Rating: 
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