10 Weird Movies That Purposely Tried To Confuse You
4. 8 1/2 (Federico Fellini)
Is 8 1/2 the most beautiful film of all time? There can be no doubt that Federico Fellini's masterpiece (or rather, one of many masterpieces from his glittering oeuvre) changed the direction for experimental narrative cinema on its release in 1963, with its self-reflexive study of writer's block and identity inspiring the subsequent work of everyone from David Lynch to Robert Altman. There is undoubtedly more of a "plot" here than in most films on the list. Italian director Guido Anselmi is effectively the alter-ego of Fellini himself, and the film revolves around his inability to complete a science fiction film that he is working on. His marriage is collapsing, he is losing interest in the project, and he appears to be suffering from hallucinations and flashbacks that prevent him from focusing on the task at hand. Plenty of films, both before and after 8 1/2, have built their stories around the creative process. Even more feature flashbacks and hallucinations. But few (aside from those that directly cite Fellini as an influence) are brave enough to collapse the distinctions between reality and fantasy like this film. The flashbacks and dream sequences are entwined with Anselmi's "reality" in far more convoluted and unclear ways than, say, in Nolan's Inception. At times it is absolutely impossible, even after multiple viewings, for the audience to establish what "reality" they are currently being shown. Surreal circus-like sequences crop up regularly, and little is explained throughout. Instead, this is a story built wholly on emotional resonance. To top off this blurring of reality/fantasy, the autobiographical element is never far from sight during the film. It is named 8 1/2 in reference to its chronological position in Fellini's filmography, and Anselmi is eerily like his creator. It is not just Anselmi that is incapable of distinguishing between the real and the fantastical - it is the viewer, who fails to separate the film's world from the director's life. Masterful.
