Federico Fellini's film about film-making is one of the most influential movies ever made, and sees the legendary Italian auteur at his avant-garde best as he delivers a semi-autobiographical tale of a director struggling with the creative process. Featuring dream sequences, flashbacks, plenty of wit and no shortage of style, 81/2 is self-reflection disguised as comedic drama. The autobiographical nature of the project is evident in the title as Fellini had previously directed six features, two shorts and co-helmed another. The story centers on Guido, a famous director on the verge of a breakdown as he struggles to balance his personal and professional lives, something Fellini himself knew about all too well. Both flamboyant and understated, stylish and grounded, 8 1/2 is a seminal examination on the symmetry between art and real life. The movie bagged an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film and inspired film-makers across the globe for years to come, as well as providing film theorists with decades worth of analysis on the many messages hidden within the fragmented narrative.
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