8 1/2

The film of liberation for film artists. The comment comes with some considerations though. This film wasn't technically innovative or new. Fellini borrows tricks from numerous other films. Some of those films were more ambitious and technically innovative than 8 1/2. This isn't also doesn't feature a deeper story for Fellini. La Dolce Vita was a crescendo work for Fellini as far as realism and character depth in story goes. 8 1/2 features a silly story with even sillier symbolism. The scene with Mastroianni whipping all his women to keep them in line is a comic charade of any ambition that the film has to develop themes between Guido and his women. The end, featuring a mysterious ambigious ending in whether Guido killed himself or not, is a false question. There is little question what happens. It's so little it doesn't even matter. The film matters though because of the inert feelings that tie the filmmaking to the emotions in the story are so strong. When Martin Scorsese introduced this film years ago, he described the story and themes by repeating the word "pressure". He wasn't devaluing the film by simplifying the emotions to just one word. He was addressing the fact that film was less about story and character and more about the composite of the scenes and feelings involved to be about one essential feeling. Fellini was making a personal film that he believed in but his true megaphone was the camera movements, music and accumulation of scenes that made less of an impression for quality story as they made an impression of a filmmaker or artist who had the experience to feel what Guido felt in his search for clarity. Art critics depend on the insight of their impressions of a piece. Only so much can be said about the brush strokes and their history. Quality can be gaged, but the true meanings lie in between the strokes. The true meaning also lies in between the scenes of 8 1/2. This film was liberating for filmmakers because it allowed them to tackle personal commentary within the narrative. Later filmmakers like Terrence Malick and Andrei Tarkovsky have excelled at this branch of filmmaking. They feel it's their best chance to find true meanings.