SUMMER Film Log- 8 1/2

Movie: 8 1/2
1963, b&w, 138 mins
Director: Frederico Fellini
Actors: Marcello Mastroianni, Claudia Cardinale, Anouk Aimée


Summary (IMDB): Guido is a film director, trying to relax after his last big hit. He can't get a moments peace, however, with the people who have worked with him in the past constantly looking for more work. He wrestles with his conscience, but is unable to come up with a new idea. While thinking, he starts to recall major happenings in his life, and all the women he has loved and left. An autobiographical film of Fellini, about the trials and tribulations of film making.

Q: Explain the importance of Mise-en-Scene in the film.
A: Specifically referring to a scene with Saraghina (the whore of the slums)--Guido in the present is shown as a very clean-cut man in a suit with glasses on. As a young boy, he is mostly the same-- clean school clothes, haircut etc. This shows that he has been the same for all of his life, and throughout the movie-- as he thinks of influential women, his outer appearance does not change, but his thoughts are being affected. The cardinal/ religious headmasters are all in uniform (Catholic orthodox) to show the strict environment in which Guido is a part of, Saraghina lives in a very dirty and destroyed shack and comes out in a dissheveled appearance (ripped up black dress, messed up facial makeup, knotted and wild hair) to show her contrast against Guido's lifestyle. When Guido is being forced back into the school building, he walks by a row of portraits of other headmasters-- these all look very realistic and give the impression that Guido is in trouble even before he is brought to the main headmaster. The room in which the headmaster sits in also has other head master-figures sitting in all black uniforms--looking very much alike near the headmaster- the room is quite empty except for Guido's mother, the headmaster at his desk, and the other headmaster figures-- this is to show the simplicity and intimidating environment of the authoritative figure in Guido's life-- very simple, clean, and to-the-point vibe.

Q:How do shots and angles play a role in the film?
A: referring to same scene as above;; C/U when Saraghina begins to dance, Guido's mother's facial expression, and religious headmaster's expression (to show the differentiating reactions--shameless, shameful, and angry). M/S as Guido (in the present) is sitting with the Cardinal, when little Guido walks through his class with the dunce hat on (makes audience feel as though they are there). Longshot as little Guido and friends run to find Saraghina, some parts when Saraghina dances, when religious headmasters chase him on the beach, when religious headmasters bring him back to the school (shown as a memory sequence, mostly from afar except details in C/U-- Guido's memory).

Movement- This scene is pretty much following little Guido's memory, so most of it is tracking and and following (when guido and friends run to beach, when Saraghina comes out of the shack, when religious headmasters chase Guido, when religious headmaster takes guido to the room with other headmasters and his mother, Guido walking through classroom with dunce hat), there are only several parts in which the camera zooms in (Facial expressions listed above).