Fellini earned his reputation of excellence over his years of fame. Movies such as Roma, La Dolce Vita, Casanova and 8 1/2 were not only brilliant films, but in fact changed the very face of cinema.
Clowns, I, is a much lesser known film of his stunning oeuvre. Nevertheless, it is a good portrayal of his fascination with the circus and with entertainment in the broader sense. This 'shorty' is funny, smart and allows insights in the dreamworld of its makers. Moreover, the score is wonderful.
Plot: A sentimental journey shot in France and Italy, searching the trace of the great clowns of yesterday, by one of the few filmmakers that showed his love for these performers in his own films, an affection that dates from a childhood experience in his hometown Rimini, which is lovingly recreated in the dream-like opening scene. Made for Italian television, the film shows Fellini meeting a few survivors, talking to clowns' relatives and friends, visiting white clowns, and recreating the style of the old art, as the funeral of a famous clown, that closes the documentary. He even finds and films Anita Ekberg, the star of his 1960 masterpiece, "La dolce vita" (I always thought he saw her a bit as a joke); but what I find curious is that his film crew seems to be integrated by a clownish crowd without make-up. Nino Rota contributed one of his most cheerful scores. (IMDB)
Note: Language is Italian and subtitles are French (hope that is not a problem, good way to catch up with your languages ;))
*with the courtesy of filmschatten.blogspot.com
Clowns, I, is a much lesser known film of his stunning oeuvre. Nevertheless, it is a good portrayal of his fascination with the circus and with entertainment in the broader sense. This 'shorty' is funny, smart and allows insights in the dreamworld of its makers. Moreover, the score is wonderful.
Plot: A sentimental journey shot in France and Italy, searching the trace of the great clowns of yesterday, by one of the few filmmakers that showed his love for these performers in his own films, an affection that dates from a childhood experience in his hometown Rimini, which is lovingly recreated in the dream-like opening scene. Made for Italian television, the film shows Fellini meeting a few survivors, talking to clowns' relatives and friends, visiting white clowns, and recreating the style of the old art, as the funeral of a famous clown, that closes the documentary. He even finds and films Anita Ekberg, the star of his 1960 masterpiece, "La dolce vita" (I always thought he saw her a bit as a joke); but what I find curious is that his film crew seems to be integrated by a clownish crowd without make-up. Nino Rota contributed one of his most cheerful scores. (IMDB)
Note: Language is Italian and subtitles are French (hope that is not a problem, good way to catch up with your languages ;))
*with the courtesy of filmschatten.blogspot.com
0 Comments:
Post a Comment