Crooked Table Podcast: ‘8 1/2’ (featuring Brian Susbielles of InSession Film)

In the interest of providing broader coverage of cinema history, we always love the chance to cover either a classic or foreign release. So, of course, it was a blast to cover Federico Fellini’s 1963 Italian film, 8 1/2. The film is more self-reflective than most, a cinematic fever dream brought to life. The parallels between Marcello Mastroianni’s Guido — a middle-aged movie director at a creative and personal crossroads — and Fellini himself are stark, blatant, and fascinating as hell.

Brian Susbielles of InSession Film joins the show to help us dig into Fellini’s masterpiece. We’ll discuss why 8 1/2 has endured as one of cinema’s greatest achievements, whether the movie is indeed a comedy, and where it ranks among Fellini’s esteemed filmography. Join us for a surreal journey through Fellini’s own psyche and 8 1/2, a film that continues to challenge and entrance viewers more than a half-century after its release.

SYNOPSIS

Troubled Italian filmmaker Guido Anselmi (Marcello Mastroianni) struggles with creative stasis as he attempts to get a new movie off the ground. Overwhelmed by his work and personal life, the director retreats into his thoughts, which often focus on his loves, both past and present, and frequently wander into fantastical territory. As he tries to sort out his many entanglements, romantic and otherwise, Anselmi finds his production becoming more and more autobiographical.