CINEMATIC REVIVAL: Fellini’s ‘8½’ Needs a Remake!
I have nothing at all to say but I want to say it anyway
 |
Of course there are going to only be a few people that actually click to read this article because it isn’t about superheroes or graphic novel adaptations, but for those of you that enjoy movies outside of the genre “fanboy” I think you may be interested in what I have to say.
I just watched Federico Fellini’s 8½ and I must say it is one of the best films I have ever seen, but it also a film that is desperate for one of two three things:
- A new Italian dub
- An English language dub (I know, a terrible idea)
- An English language remake
This is a film that has spectacular scenes and imagery, but an immense amount of dialogue, and it is important dialogue at that. To be reading it all hurts a non-Italian speaking audience member’s chance at completely grasping everything the film has to offer. 8½ is one of those films that truly defines what a great film is, and by this I mean it is complex, but has an underlying storyline that is easy to follow should some audience members care to read into it only so far. I just found it frustrating to miss out on the visuals because I was spending so much time reading. (Yeah, boo hoo right?)
My reason for saying 8½ needs to be remade is laid out above, but let me elaborate a bit more. The film really does have a very bad Italian dub and while the mouths aren’t even matching the words being spoken there is an immense amount of reading to be done as the subtitles whiz by. For the most part I caught the important stuff, but on occasion I did miss a few lines as I tried to also watch the movie at the same time (heaven forbid). I had to rewind on occassion, and this isn’t the way to enjoy a film of this caliber. Maybe I am greedy, but I want more.
 |
|
Is it real or is it fantasy? Guido kicks back while his wife dances with his mistress.
|
When I say the movie is complex I am primarily referring to the delicate balance of real world vs. fantasy world vs. flashback scenes as director/co-writer Federico Fellini tells a very personal story of Guido Anselmi played by Marcello Mastroianni, a director at a loss trying to figure out what is next film really is about. He is pulled in all directions by producers, mistresses, actresses, his wife, etc. and his ability to find inspiration has left him.
The performance by Mastroianni is spot on and the way Fellini bounces between reality, fantasy and flashback culminates in a moment at the end of the film that I believe people could argue back and forth on for days. Such as…
Only a couple of recent films have been able to inspire such similar conversation and those would be No Country for Old Men, There Will Be Blood, and I even had conversations a couple of times regarding Atonement. For the most part, however, films now days don’t challenge the audience. Everything is tied up nice and neat, giving viewers a flashy 120 minutes in the theater, but they ultimately come out empty, at least to the point where the potential for stimulating conversation is at a minimum.
8½ is the only Fellini film I have ever seen (yes, I know I need to check out several others), but in watching it I personally drew a comparison to Ingmar Bergman and I would even say a touch of Akira Kurosawa. I am not saying he drew from them because I have no idea, but I got the same vibe from this film that I have from several of theirs in terms of tone and storytelling style, particularly through visuals. 8½ is a powerful film from several perspectives and it is ripe for a full on (non-musical) English language remake and I have even taken a stab at casting four characters and naming a director should anyone decide to listen. I’ll get to that “non-musical” part shortly.
First off, for Luisa, Guido’s wife I think Emily Mortimer would be a perfect draw. Mortimer has shown terrific growth as an actress and I actually really liked her in David Mamet’s upcoming film Redbelt even if the film itself isn’t perfect. In Fellini’s 8½, Luisa is a strong woman, yet there are several moments in which she must show vulnerability as well as offer up a certain level of sex appeal. Mortimer can do all three of these things without question.
RSS Feed
news feeds