@ben
“Well, that’s reassuring coming from a critic who includes The Shawshank Redemption and Planes, Trains and Automobiles amongst his “great” films.”
faked you out. ebert said no such thing. now you agree with him. your world is flipped upside down
I think his best films are Il bidone and La strada….even if I haven’t seen Amarcord yet
“Also, I like the title of this thread, 8 1/2 and La Dolce Vita should be ignored. People only claim to like them because they think it makes them sound high-brow.”
Do you actually think this…..
I would go with La Città Delle Donne and Casanova, two underrated masterpieces. And if you can find the blu-rays for these two films, I assure you, you’ll be amazed.
Yes and no. I was being facetious, I must admit. I actually like both films, although I don’t consider either to be the masterpieces they’re so often made out to be. I also think it’s true that many people who watch them are seduced by the beautiful photography and quasi-philosophical musings, as well as the reputation of both films, and end up feeling as though they’ve seen something profound and meaningful (they haven’t).
I always think of that scene in How to Lose Friends and Alienate People (not a good film, but a useful example) where Kirsten Dunst’s character claims that La Dolce Vita is her favourite film in order to impress a film producer. This attitude is typical of wannabe cinephile’s who feel the need to like well-regarded films that are part of the cine-literate vernacular just because Roger Ebert, or some other self-important film critic, calls it a masterpiece. Challenge them on why they think it’s a masterpiece and they soon tie themselves in knots (unless, of course, they choose to paraphrase Ebert).
But, they are still two landmark movies that probably shouldn’t be "ignored” – if only due to their historical significance.
Nights of Cabiria is my choice for its intimacy, pacing, and simple yet elegant shots. It does “La Strada” better than La Strada.
@ben
nobody has to explain why they like anything…
although i definitely understand your point about these tragic philistines being seduced by beautiful photography. hahaha! unfortunate pedestrian mooks! loving art just because it’s beautiful!
Amarcord; a flawless piece of nostalgia; and Rota’s score is to die for.
I Vitelloni, followed closely by the Toby Dammit episode from Spirits of the Dead. I actually prefer those two to anything Fellini has done.
la strada, amarcord
IMDben
Well, that’s reassuring coming from a critic who includes The Shawshank Redemption and Planes, Trains and Automobiles amongst his “great” films.