Screen Saver

"81/2" is one of the most fantastic, whimsical films I've seen. Fellini truly wings it, creating amazing images and scenes out of thin air without batting an eyelash. The film follows Guido, a womanizing film director, as he struggles to complete his latest movie and keep his marriage afloat.

The movie plays like a dream, where changes in scenery and cast occur frivolously, and nothing slows down to help you acclimate to the change.

However, these weird and often funny scenes are an example of Fellini's creative genius. The famous opening sequence of the film is one that I rewound four times in my first viewing:

Guido is locked in his car during a huge traffic jam, while people in other cars stare at him strangely. The only noises on the soundtrack are that of Guido's heavy breathing and his desperate attempts to kick down his window. Then he is shown floating above a beach by a string, while a production assistant decides he's had enough fun and drops him.

The ending is even more spellbinding; however, it would hardly have its magic were it to be spoiled by my retelling. "81/2" is a masterpiece of world cinema, one of the most acclaimed and celebrated works by the most famous and talented of Italy's many great filmmakers.

It is not a boring film by any means, as would normally be assumed when the word "foreign" is thrown into a sentence.

The dreamlike nature of Fellini's narrative shows a forefather to the current crop of directors and writers--such as Charlie Kaufman, Spike Jonze and Michael Gondry--who thrive on the unconscious, surreal nature of cinema.

JOE HOLMES is a rising freshman at Germanna Community College.