Federico Fellini
| Federico Fellini |
|---|
 |
| Born |
| January 20, 1920 Rimini, Italy |
| Died |
| October 31, 1993 Rome, Italy |
Federico Fellini or Frederico Rimini-Fellini, as his contemporaries referred to him, (January 20 1920 – October 31 1993) was one of the most influential and widely revered Italian film-makers of the second half of the 20th century.
Fellini is generally considered by film critics and scholars, as well as fellow film directors, to be one of the finest film directors of all time. Every decade, starting in 1952, Sight and Sound, the official magazine of the British Film Institute, has conducted a worldwide poll of film critics and film directors. In its latest such poll, conducted in 2002, Fellini was listed as #7 on the critics' list of the top ten directors of all time, and #2 on the directors' list. Fellini's movie 8½ was #9 on the critics' list of the top ten greatest films ever made, and #3 on the directors' list. So he is highly regarded by critics, and even more highly so by his fellow directors.
Fellini's films typically combine memory, dreams, fantasy, and desire. His earlier films are markedly seen as being of a genre following from Italian Neo-Realism, with his latter films moving more into fantasy and symbolism. In fact, his later films have led to a term to describe his film style and that of others who follow or imitate him: Felliniesque.
Life
Fellini was born in and raised in the Italian town of Rimini, and his childhood experiences would later play an important part in many of his films.
During Mussolini's Fascist regime, he was an Avanguardista, and his first writings were for Alleanza Cinematografica Italiana (ACI), the production company of Vittorio Mussolini, son of Benito. Vittorio Mussolini introduced Fellini to Roberto Rossellini, the husband of Swedish-born actress Ingrid Bergman from 1950 to 1957 and one of the leading exponents of what came to be known as Italian neo-realist cinema; Rossellini is best known for his post WWII films Roma, città aperta (1945) (known as Open City in the USA), and Stromboli (1950).
Fellini was a cartoonist and creator of comic-book style drawings before he became a filmmaker, and he would continue to create such drawings throughout his life. His drawings (mostly pencil on paper) were often humorous portraits. Through these works young Fellini encountered cinema: his first success was in drawing advertising pictures for movies.
In 1944, after Mussolini's downfall, Fellini opened a shop in Rome in which he sold his drawings. The shop was named (in English) "The Funny Face Shop," and contained works from Fellini and De Seta, Verdini, Camerini, Scarpelli, Majorana, Guasta, Giobbe, Attalo, Migneco (all writers, directors or otherwise intellectuals working for Italian cinema). A major inspiration for Fellini was Goethe. In the same year he started his contribution to Rossellini's Roma città aperta, starring Aldo Fabrizi.
Fellini's first solo-directed film was Lo Sceicco Bianco (1951), with Alberto Sordi, written by Michelangelo Antonioni and Ennio Flaiano. In making this movie Fellini met Nino Rota, the musician who would follow him for the successful remainder of his career.
In addition to making films, Fellini also wrote scripts for radio shows, for movies (mainly for Rossellini) and wrote comic gags for well known actors like Aldo Fabrizi. Fellini also took part in writing another of Rossellini's movies, Paisà. He wrote also for other directors such as Alberto Lattuada, Pietro Germi, and Luigi Comencini.
Fellini's wife, actress Giulietta Masina (married in 1943) was often in his movies. Other actors with whom Fellini frequently worked include Marcello Mastroianni, Alberto Sordi, and Anita Ekberg.
In 1945 Fellini had a son who survived for only 2 weeks; he was the only son of Fellini and Giulietta Masina.
In 1948 Fellini acted in Rossellini's Il Miracolo.
Throughout the 1950s, 1960s, 1970s and 1980s his films were widely acclaimed, and four of his movies won the Best Foreign Film Oscar.
In 1991 Fellini's text "Trip to Tulum" was translated into English by Stefano Gaudiano and published in a graphic form in the magazine Crisis with artwork by Milo Manara.
In 1993 he received an Oscar for his lifetime achievement. That same year, he died in Rome at the age of 73.
Federico Fellini, his wife Giulietta Masina and their son Pierfederico, are buried in the same tomb,which monument, sculpted in iron by Arnaldo Pomodoro, is shaped as a prow in the water and is located at the entrance of the main Cemetery of Rimini
The Federico Fellini International Airport in Rimini, is named in his honor.
Some Fellini Films
Fellini's earliest films were made in and contunued the Italian neo-realist cinema tradition.
Filmography as director
Links to Fellini's drawings related to single films
- Luci del Varietà (1950) (co-credited with Alberto Lattuada)
- Lo Sceicco Bianco (1951) [1] [2]
- I Vitelloni (1953) [3]
- L'Amore in Città (1953) (segment Un'agenzia matrimoniale)
- La Strada (1954) Oscar (best foreign language film) [4]
- Il bidone (1955)
- Le Notti di Cabiria (1957) Oscar (best foreign language film) [5]
- La Dolce Vita (1960) Oscar (best costumes)
- Boccaccio '70 (1962) (segment Le tentazioni del Dottor Antonio)
- 8½ (1963) 2 Oscars (best foreign language film, best costume design)
- Giulietta degli Spiriti (1965)
- Histories Extraordinaries (1968) (segment Toby Dammit)
- Satyricon (1969)
- I Clowns (1970)
- Roma (1972)
- Amarcord (1973) Oscar (best foreign language film)
- Il Casanova di Federico Fellini (1976) Oscar (best costume design)
- Prova d'orchestra (1979)
- La città delle donne (1980)
- E la Nave Va (1983)
- Ginger and Fred (1986)
- Intervista (1987)
- La voce della luna (1990)
See also
- Art film
Bibliographies
Fellini Bibliography (via UC Berkeley)
ReferencesISBN links support NWE through referral fees
- Walter, Eugene and Katherine Clark (2002). Milking the Moon: A Southerner's Story of Life on This Planet. New York: Three Rivers Press. ISBN 0-609-80965-2. The author describes his many years of working with Fellini in Italy.
External links
- Fellini's Foundation official site
- Federico Fellini at the Internet Movie Database
- Federico Fellini at the TCM Movie Database
- Federico Fellini at SensesOfCinema.com
- Various short reviews
- Watch Federico Fellini's film Il Bidone
- One of Fellini's artworks
- Images and Archetypes: A perspective on the work of Federico Fellini
- Site for the documentary film "Fellini Ungrateful Celebration", directed by: Eric Burritt
- In-depth excerpt from Fellini: A Life
- Researching and documenting the influence of Fellini on popular culture
- Federico Fellini: Interviews edited by Bert Cardullo
- Essay on Orchestra Rehearsal by A.Tylski
- Site Federico Fellini
- Federico Fellini: Old School Reviews
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