Saturday, March 14, 2009


Hi Guys! Hi, nice to see you again. HI! I wondered: What are the glasses Marcello Mastroianni wears in 8 1/2? Not the sunglasses, but the regular eyeglasses. They're like a lighter, more curvaceous Wayfarer almost. YEAH! I think they’re probably an ITALIAN MAKER! (Luxottica?). I've got a few vintage AMERICAN OPTICAL and RAY BAN frames from thrift shops with prescription lenses. I think they are typical frames of that era. I have about 5 pair of TERRI BROGAN and POLO frames from that era. Mine all have Prescription Lenses in them. RATS! and I do not wear them anymore. Would you like a pair? Anyway, I like his EARLIER, FUNNIER MOVIES! Why does he have to be so SERIOUS!

Anyway, GOTTA RUN! Talk to you SOON!

--W


3 comments:

  1. he is serious.
    serious in a self-absorbed way.
    in a way that makes him almost drunkenly passive and destructive to his surroundings.

    he participates in his own confusion while pretending to seek clarity.
    he's like a drunk person that says they are going to go discover the meaning of life but then goes to taco bell and passes out in the drive thru lane

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  2. Sunglasses? Is that what it's about? I don't think so. I think I can relate to Guido's situation. It's about sex. Guido is frustrated because he wants the innocence of pre-pubescent boyhood sexual experiences - the excitement of that distant voyeuristic experience that he had when he was a child on the beach, without the complications of commitment and the complexity of dealing with one's own struggles between the Id and the Superego. The Artist always tries to exist in that liminal space between freedom of expression and expectations of performance - instant gratification vs. the longer-term reward and responsibility according to the clock.

    Maybe the sunglasses represent Guido's blindness to his own desires - his repression of childhood memories that fuel his self-defeating actions.

    But then again, sometimes a pair of sunglasses is just a pair of sunglasses.

    -S. F.

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  3. The glasses and sunglasses are a highlight in this movie, indeed. Watching this movie was somewhat tedious, but overall I think Fellini does a great job of bringing out Guido's inner struggles with the characters and cinematography. The lack of a streamlined linear sequence of scenes does make it a little difficult to follow, but Fellini makes his point.

    Guido's wife is placed in a strange position in thi story. She is largely negelected and taken for granted. Guido is wrapped up in his own struggle to make a decision about his project and she suffers the consequences of his indecision at certain points.

    The imagery in the large terrace and cafe scenes are the most interesting to me. The added layer of the narrative going on between Guido and the cardinals and other movie professionals makes for a complex combination of what is real and what is going on in Guido's head. Maybe he is hiding behind those shades.

    All in all, Guido is a mighty selfish character, but has good intentions. He fails to accept the inspiration that lies outside of himself for a great deal of the movie. However, by the end, his ideas materialize and he has the chance to make amends with his wife. Fellini's investigation of his own inablility to make work fused with strange imagery and narrative sequences deserves respect. I can't help but wander what became of all the women in Guido's life and his relationship with his wife...

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