← Back to films

8½

Name: 8½
Genre: Drama
Released: 1963-02-14
Duration: 139 min
Rating: 8.082

★ 8,1 /10 (2,556 Votes)

1963 IT 139 min

Overview

Guido Anselmi, a film director, finds himself creatively barren at the peak of his career. Urged by his doctors to rest, Anselmi heads for a luxurious resort, but a sorry group gathers—his producer, staff, actors, wife, mistress, and relatives—each one begging him to get on with the show. In retreat from their dependency, he fantasizes about past women and dreams of his childhood.

Stream

Rent

Buy

Release date

14/02/1963

Votes

2,556

Popularity

5.9

A picture that goes beyond what men think about - because no man ever thought about it in quite this way!

Genres

Drama

Status

Released

Language

Runtime

139 min

Website

www.janusfilms.com

Marcello Mastroianni

Guido Anselmi

Claudia Cardinale

Claudia

Anouk Aimée

Luisa Anselmi

Sandra Milo

Carla

Rossella Falk

Rossella

Barbara Steele

Gloria Morin

Madeleine Lebeau

Madeleine, the French Actress

Caterina Boratto

Mysterious Lady

Eddra Gale

La Saraghina

Guido Alberti

Pace, the Producer

Mario Conocchia

Conocchia, the Production Manager

Bruno Agostini

Bruno, the Second Production Secretary

Cesarino Miceli Picardi

Cesarino, the Production Supervisor

Jean Rougeul

Carini, the Film Critic

Mario Pisu

Mario Mezzabotta

No photo

Yvonne Casadei

Jacqueline Bonbon

No photo

Ian Dallas

Maurice, Maya's Assistant

Mino Doro

Claudia's Agent

Nadia Sanders

Nadine, the Hostess

Georgia Simmons

Guido's Grandmother

Edy Vessel

Hedy, The Model

No photo

Tito Masini

The Cardinal

Annie Gorassini

Producer's Friend

Rossella Como

Luisa's Friend

Mark Herron

Luisa's Suitor

No photo

Marisa Colomber

Guido's Aunt

No photo

Neil Robinson

The French Actress's Agent

No photo

Elisabetta Catalano

Matilde, Luisa's Sister

Eugene Walter

The American Journalist

No photo

Hazel Rogers

La negretta

Gilda Dahlberg

American Journalist's Wife

No photo

Mario Tarchetti

Claudia's Press Office

No photo

Mary Indovino

Maya, the Clairvoyant

No photo

Frazier Rippy

The Lay Secretary

No photo

Francesco Rigamonti

Luisa's Friend

Giulio Paradisi

A Friend

No photo

Marco Gemini

Guido as a Child

Giuditta Rissone

Guido's Mother

Annibale Ninchi

Guido's Father

Dina De Santis

Dina (uncredited)

No photo

Eva Gioia

Eva (uncredited)

Maria Tedeschi

School Director (uncredited)

No photo

Antonio Acqua

A Man in a Car (uncredited)

No photo

Giulio Calì

A Man in the Mud (uncredited)

Franco Caracciolo

Young Priest (uncredited)

Olimpia Cavalli

Olimpia (uncredited)

Sonia Gessner

(uncredited)

Mathilda Calnan

Luisa's Friend (uncredited)

Nadia Balabine

Priest Teacher (uncredited)

John Karlsen

Original Soundtrack

Loading soundtrack videos…

Widely touted as one of the all-time great works of cinema, Federico Fellini’s 8½ is an elusive film about even more elusive things. It’s a meaningfully chaotic picture about trying to distil meaning from chaos and it’s a creative success about creative failure. It chronicles the resonant moments in one man’s life and admits that it can’t quite clarify why they matter. Doing justice to its early working title of The Beautiful Confusion, 8½ is a daring high wire act and an outstanding technical achievement that channels its story of artistic crisis into something sweepingly, uniquely profound. …

Read full review →

**Fellini, deconstructed, improvised and enshrined in a film that (not) pleases everyone.** I'm not a fan or deep connoisseur of Italian cinema, but I've heard of Federico Fellini, and I know that this film is considered one of this director's best films. I haven't seen any of his films yet: this was the first. And honestly, I don't quite understand this fascination: the film is chaotic! I think that, unless someone is an expert in cinema, the vast majority of people who saw the film did not understand it, but then said that it was very good just to avoid being criticized. I'm glad I don't …

Read full review →

Acclaimed director "Guido" (Marcello Mastroianni) is looking for a peaceable life after his last successful movie, but at every turn he is being pursued by people who want to capitalise on the success. He just hasn't the inspiration though - and determined not to just churn out any old rubbish, retreats to a small town for some rest, recuperation and hopefully inspiration. He in also rather reaping what he sowed as his wife "Luisa" (Anouk Aimée) and her rival "Claudia" (Claudia Cardinale) are vying for his increasingly frayed attentions and that makes any chance of concentration almost impossi…

Read full review →