Movie of the Week – 8 ½

This week’s movie: 8 ½ (1963).

A director, constantly harassed and annoyed by all around him, struggles to make his new film, retreating into his memories and fantasies.

8 ½ is Italian auteur Federico Fellini’s masterpiece (and my favorite of his great films – which include: La Strada, Nights of Cabiria, La Dolce Vita, and Amarcord). Fellini worked with excellent composer Nino Rota (who also scored The Godfather and The Leopard), cinematographer Gianni Di Venanzo, and frequent collaborator production designer Piero Gherardi (who won an Oscar for costume design).

Marcello Mastroianni (who often worked with Fellini) stars in the film, with an ensemble of beautiful woman, including: Claudia Cardinale, Anouk Aimee, Sandra Milo, and Barbara Steele.

The thing that really makes 8 ½ a standout film for me is its artistry. It is an aesthetically ambitious film as Guido Anselmi navigates between reality and his imagination, and a film that is often visually striking. I also feel draw to it in a way because it is a film about filmmaking, specifically directing (which nostalgically reminds me of my frantic days as a film student running around trying to make our little films). I am not especially well versed in Italian cinema, but 8 ½ is probably my favorite (with Bicycle Thieves, Nights of Cabiria, The Leopard, A Fistful of Dollars, The Battle of Algiers, Once Upon a Time in the West, and Life Is Beautiful up there at the top too). 8 ½ is a must-see for fans of Italian cinema, Federico Fellini, or wonderful cinema in general.

Trailer: Here

Available on: Blu-ray and Video On-Demand

Movie of the Week – Once Upon a Time in the West

This week’s movie: Once Upon a Time in the West (1968).

Frank, a ruthless assassin working for the railroad, murders Jill McBain’s husband and family with the ambition of taking her land and selling it for a fortune to the railroad. He wants Jill for himself. However, a stranger with a harmonica and Cheyenne, a notorious desperado, make an unlikely team hired by Jill to try and kill Frank.

The film is written and directed by Sergio Leone – the master of the spaghetti western. Leone made his reputation with the brilliant The Man with No Name Trilogy (A Fistful of Dollars, For a Few Dollars More, and The Good, the Bad and the Ugly). However, Once Upon a Time in the West is probably his greatest achievement (his gangster film Once Upon a Time in America is great too). Leone worked with frequent collaborators composer Ennio Morricone (whose score is absolutely phenomenal and iconic), cinematographer Tonino Delli Colli, and art director Carlo Simi.

Claudia Cardinale, Henry Fonda, Jason Robards, and Charles Bronson star in the film, while Gabriele Ferzetti, Woody Strode, and Jack Elam feature in support.

In terms of westerns, there may not be a better film than Once Upon a Time in the West. For me, the genre’s best include this film as well as things like: The Big Country, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, A Fistful of Dollars, Unforgiven, Open Range (a personal favorite that is often overlooked), Deadwood, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, and True Grit. The score alone makes this a worthwhile endeavor – or maybe its place among the 100 Best Films of the 20^th Century (number 24 on IMDb’s Top 250) – but really, it is a must-see for fans of westerns.

Trailer: Here

Available on: Blu-ray and Video On-Demand