---
title: "8½"
year: 1963
kind: "film"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/812"
fi1m_id: "812"
imdb_id: "tt0056801"
tmdb_id: 422
wikidata_id: "Q12018"
fi1m_score: 91
critics_score: 85
critics_reviews: 16
published: "2026-09-12"
review_updated: "2026-09-26"
updated: "2026-09-26T14:49:29.495194+00:00"
region: "US"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# 8½ (1963)

Directed by Federico Fellini · 2h 19m · MPA NR · Drama

## Identity

8½

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/812
- **Type:** Film
- **Fi1m ID:** 812
- **IMDb ID:** tt0056801
- **TMDB ID:** 422
- **Wikidata ID:** Q12018
- **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0056801/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/422, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q12018

**Fi1m score: 91** · Critics 85 from 16 reviews

*In a sentence:* A man avoids his wife, his mistress, his producer and his script, and somehow this counts as work

> Fellini’s film about a director who cannot make his film is as good as its reputation, and funnier than it. It is long, it is vain about its own vanity, and it is one of the few films we would send a stranger to.

## Synopsis

Guido Anselmi (Marcello Mastroianni), a successful Italian film director, arrives at a spa town to take the waters and to begin his next picture, a science-fiction film for which the producer, Pace (Guido Alberti), has already built a rocket launch tower the height of a cathedral. Guido has no script and no idea, and everyone around him wants one. His production manager Conocchia (Mario Conocchia) needs decisions, actresses need casting and a critic has notes on the pages that do exist. His mistress Carla (Sandra Milo) steps off a train in white fur and is installed in a second hotel across town. Between meetings Guido drifts into dreams: a silent traffic jam in a tunnel, a flight over the sea, a childhood farmhouse. Then he telephones his wife Luisa (Anouk Aimée) and asks her to come.

## Review

Guido Anselmi (Marcello Mastroianni) is a film director who has come to a spa to rest and start his next picture, and he cannot do either. The producer, Pace (Guido Alberti), has built him a rocket launch tower the height of a church and wants to know what it is for. His mistress Carla (Sandra Milo) turns up at the station in furs and asks to be hidden in a second hotel. Federico Fellini, who had made [*La Dolce Vita*](https://film.one/film/la-dolce-vita) three years earlier, has put a director’s block on screen and made it a comedy. We would send a stranger to see it.

Guido is stuck in a traffic jam inside a tunnel, the cars silent, every face turned to watch him as smoke fills his own. He climbs out through the roof and floats up over the sea. A man on the beach hauls him down by a rope tied to his ankle. Leo Catozzo cuts from the falling body to Guido’s hand reaching from a bed without a dissolve, and the film does this for 139 minutes: no marker between what happens, what Guido remembers and what he would prefer. We felt that fall in the stomach, and it is the silence that does it, not the spectacle: nobody in the jam will help.

Gianni Di Venanzo shoots the spa in white so hard the queue for mineral water looks bleached, and the nights in deep black with a single lamp. Piero Gherardi, who designed both the sets and the clothes, gives every woman a hat that could shade a market stall and gives Guido a black hat and dark glasses to hide behind. The rocket set, all scaffold and ladders against the sky, is the best joke: an enormous thing built for a film nobody has written. Nino Rota’s score is a fairground band that starts up whenever Guido would rather it did not.

Anouk Aimée arrives as Luisa, Guido’s wife, in a short crop and severe spectacles, and watches him lie with an exhaustion that is the most honest thing in the film. Sandra Milo plays Carla as a woman who reads comics, adores him and is never taken seriously by him or by the film, which is the point. Claudia Cardinale is the girl in white who appears with a glass of water whenever Guido needs an idea; he knows this is a childish thing to want. Rossella Falk, as Luisa’s friend Rossella, gets the sharpest lines. Eddra Gale is La Saraghina, the enormous woman who danced for the schoolboys on a beach in Guido’s memory. We laughed at the rumba, and then the priests arrived and we felt the boy’s shame as our own.

The film is about a man who uses women as furniture, and it knows this. It is also a film in which women are furniture, and the second thing is not entirely cancelled by the first. The harem daydream, in which every woman he has known waits on him in a farmhouse, is funny and also exactly the fantasy it claims to be examining. A character says as much to Guido’s face. We have decided that is both honesty and a good alibi.

It is long. The screenplay, by Fellini with Ennio Flaiano, Tullio Pinelli and Brunello Rondi, circles rather than develops, and around the hundred-minute mark we felt the circle once too often: another corridor, another audition, another woman on the stairs. The visit to the Cardinal and the screen tests could each lose two minutes. Nothing in the last reel is a story, and we will not describe it, except to say that Rota’s band is involved and that it moved us more than any tidy resolution would have.

Mastroianni holds it together by doing almost nothing. He listens, he ducks, he puts the glasses back on. Watch him in the hotel lobby being handed a script, an actress and a complaint; he never raises his voice. It is a 15, in Italian, and in black and white for a reason. See it in one sitting, on the largest screen you have, and do not expect to be told when you have left the dream.

*Fi1m score 91, published 12 September 2026.*

## What the critics say

Most critics agree this is one of Fellini’s best films and the definitive portrait of a director who cannot get his next picture started. The praise clusters on the dream sequences and on the way the film slides between memory, fantasy and what is happening on set, with the opening and the harem daydream named more than once. Gianni Di Venanzo’s black-and-white photography and Nino Rota’s score are singled out repeatedly, as is Marcello Mastroianni’s performance as the blocked director.

The spread is narrow, with fifteen positive reviews and a single mixed one. The reservations are mostly historical. The New York Times, reviewing in 1963, finds the ending a letdown, and The Hollywood Reporter of the same year doubts its appeal beyond art houses. The Independent, in 1993, calls it dated but fitfully arresting. Even admirers concede it is self-indulgent and divisive, though most count that as part of its point.

## Straight answers

**Is 8½ worth watching?**

*8½* is worth watching for anyone with patience for a long, drifting film about a director who cannot make his film, and we scored it 91. It is funnier than its reputation suggests, though it circles rather than develops and sags around the hundred-minute mark. See it in one sitting, on the largest screen you have.

**How long is 8½, and what is it rated?**

*8½* runs 2h 19m and is rated NR by the MPA in the US. It is a drama film.

**Where can I watch 8½ in the US?**

*8½* is streaming on HBO Max, Tubi, Hulu, The Roku Channel and Amazon Prime Video in the US, and it is also available to rent from Amazon Prime Video from $5.99. It leaves Tubi on 13 October. Availability is checked daily; the links above go straight to each service.

**How violent or frightening is 8½, and is it suitable for children?**

*8½* is a UK 15 with no violence to speak of; the certificate reflects adult matter, chiefly a married man juggling a mistress and a daydream harem, and a childhood memory of a woman dancing for schoolboys. Nothing here would frighten anyone. It is in Italian, in black and white, and 139 minutes long, which rules out most children more surely than the rating does.

**How does 8½ compare to Wild Strawberries?**

*8½* is the funnier and more extravagant of the two, a comedy of vanity that slides between dream and daytime without warning, while [*Wild Strawberries*](https://film.one/film/wild-strawberries) is a quieter, warmer film built on a single day's drive and one performance. Bergman's symbolism can be insistent; Fellini's length can tire. We rate Fellini's film higher, but viewers who want to be moved rather than dazzled may prefer Bergman.

**What should I watch after 8½?**

After *8½*, try [*Wild Strawberries*](https://film.one/film/wild-strawberries) (1957, Fi1m 88): Bergman sends an old man through his memories on a single day’s drive. Then [*All That Jazz*](https://film.one/film/all-that-jazz) (1979, Fi1m 84): Fosse’s version, with dance numbers and a hospital bed, borrowed openly from Fellini.

### Reviews we read (16)

- **Little White Lies**, Ian Mantgani (5/5/5): The critic hails the film as an iconic masterpiece and a re-release worth seeing on the big screen. They praise its fluid shifts between reality, dream, memory and fantasy, its sincerity beneath virtuosic set pieces, and its enduring emotional resonance as a map of life’s stresses and creative catharsis. [Read](https://lwlies.com/reviews/8-c2-bd)
- **Radio Times**, David Parkinson (5/5): Parkinson praises the film as a mesmerising, complex study of creative and personal crisis. He singles out its mix of daydreams, memories, nightmares and confrontations for capturing Fellini’s struggle to sustain his reputation. [Read](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-k3c6xf/8/)
- **Financial Times**, Danny Leigh (90/100, inferred): The critic describes the digitally restored re-release as a glorious portrait of a grand director folding in on himself. It ranks among the greatest movies about movies. [Read](https://www.ft.com/content/41d30d50-ef30-11e4-87dc-00144feab7de)
- **Los Angeles Times**, Kenneth Turan (90/100, inferred): Turan describes 8 1/2 as a timeless classic of personal cinema about self-portraiture and the creative process. He singles out its ability to enthrall through imagination and instinct. [Read](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2010-apr-23-la-et-eight-half-20100423-story.html)
- **RogerEbert.com**, Roger Ebert (90/100, inferred): Ebert calls 8 1/2 a great film and the definitive work about director's block. He singles out its autobiographical elements and the famous harem daydream sequence for praise. [Read](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/fellinis-8-12-1993)
- **Slant Magazine**, Joseph Jon Lanthier (90/100, inferred): The critic views 8½ as a pivotal shift in Fellini’s work from neorealism to oneiric, personal cinema about creative and masculine crisis, praising its self-deprecating comedy, Freudian elements, and focus on the women in the protagonist’s life. The review highlights the film’s embrace of cinema as an expression of the panicked id and its enduring influence. [Read](https://www.slantmagazine.com/dvd/8-and-a-half-4k-uhd-blu-ray-review-federico-fellini/)
- **The Guardian**, Peter Bradshaw (90/100, inferred): The critic praises Fellini’s hallucinatory masterpiece as a compelling meditation on films as dreams and memories that exerts an irresistible pull. The opening dream sequence stands out as one of the most incredible things in cinema. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/apr/30/8-and-a-half-review-federico-fellini)
- **The New Yorker**, Brendan Gill (90/100, inferred): Gill praises the film as marvellous and a comedy about life's absurdities and desirability. He highlights Fellini's inventive cinematic tricks, performances, photography, and witty script. [Read](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1963/06/29/without-a-net)
- **Variety**, Variety Staff (90/100, inferred): The review calls 8 1/2 an exciting, stimulating monumental creation that tops La Dolce Vita. It praises the intensely personal storytelling and Fellini's ability to confess innermost thoughts entertainingly. [Read](https://variety.com/1962/film/reviews/8-1-2-1200420457/)
- **Empire**, Steve Goldman (85/100, inferred): The critic praises the film as one of Fellini's masterpieces and a powerful personal statement that continues to beguile despite being divisive. It singles out the sprawling portrait of the artist and the creative process in crisis. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/8-1-2-review/)
- **The Hollywood Reporter**, James Powers (70/100, inferred): The film is a grim fable of modern man and a true art picture likely limited in general appeal but strong in art houses. It features penetrating and witty moments with strong performances, especially from Marcello Mastroianni, and excellent technical credits including editing and music. [Read](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/8-review-1963-federico-fellini-movie-1123323/)
- **The New York Times**, Bosley Crowther (70/100, inferred): Fellini has made a stimulating contemplation of a sweet guy, though it leaves an uncomfortable feeling of letdown at the end. The critic praises the director's tremendous pictorial poetry, intimations of pathos and longing, skill with the silly and grotesque, and splendid performing, along with another delicious Nino Rota score. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/1963/06/26/archives/screen-fellinis-contemplation-of-a-directors-life8-is-first-showing.html)
- **The Times**, Kate Muir (70/100, inferred): The critic describes the film as a surreal self-interrogation in which Mastroianni plays a blocked director fantasising about women and his past. She highlights the lush black-and-white photography and the restoration screening at the BFI. [Read](https://www.thetimes.com/article/classic-film-of-the-week-8-1963-xnv96ckxddf)
- **The Independent** (60/100, inferred): The short review describes the film as post-modernism 1963-style about a director on the verge of a nervous breakdown. It notes that it is dated but fitfully arresting. [Read](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/video-8-1-2-15-connoisseur-1500421.html)
- **HeyUGuys**, Aleyha Ahmed (90/100, inferred): The critic praises this restored rerelease of Fellini's classic as a darkly funny, brilliantly acted masterpiece about life, art and the psyche, centered on the chaotic world of filmmaking. They highlight the film's rare cohesion through striking black-and-white cinematography and Nina Rota's score, and urge viewers to see it on the big screen. [Read](https://www.heyuguys.com/8-12-review/)
- **The Skinny**, Philip Concannon (★★★★): The critic views 8½ as a singular, self-indulgent yet extraordinary act of creative expression that grows more stimulating with each viewing. They single out the memorable black-and-white images by cinematographer Gianni Di Venanzo and the dazzling dream sequences and scenes featuring the women from the protagonist's past. [Read](https://www.theskinny.co.uk/film/dvd-reviews/8)

## Details

- **Director:** Federico Fellini
- **Director:** Federico Fellini
- **Screenplay:** Ennio Flaiano, Tullio Pinelli, Brunello Rondi, Federico Fellini
- **Story:** Ennio Flaiano, Federico Fellini
- **Cinematography:** Gianni Di Venanzo
- **Editor:** Leo Catozzo
- **Music:** Nino Rota
- **Production design:** Piero Gherardi
- **Costume design:** Piero Gherardi
- **Producer:** Angelo Rizzoli
- **Cast:** Marcello Mastroianni as Guido Anselmi; Claudia Cardinale as Claudia; Anouk Aimée as Luisa Anselmi; Sandra Milo as Carla; Rossella Falk as Rossella; Barbara Steele as Gloria Morin; Madeleine Lebeau as Madeleine, the French Actress; Caterina Boratto as Mysterious Lady
- **Runtime:** 2h 19m
- **Certificate (MPA):** NR
- **Release (the US):** 24 June 1963
- **Genres:** Drama
- **Also in:** [BAFTA Best Film winners](https://film.one/collections/bafta-best-film.md) (Nominee, 1963)
- **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4CjMvGBY_lI

## Where to watch in the US

- HBO Max: streaming
- Tubi: free, hd, leaving 2026-10-13
- Hulu: add-on, hd
- The Roku Channel: add-on, hd
- Amazon Prime Video: add-on
- Amazon Prime Video: rent $5.99, sd
- Amazon Prime Video: buy $14.99, sd

*Checked 2026-09-26.*

Also available in: CA, DK, FI, FR, GB, IT, NO, SE, US. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country.

## Awards

- Academy Awards 1964: Best Director (nominated); Best Writing, Original Screenplay (nominated); Best Costume Design, Black-and-White (won); Best International Feature Film (won)
- International Submission to the Academy Awards 1964: International Submission to the Academy Awards (nominated)
- National Board of Review Award for Best Foreign Language Film 1963: National Board of Review Award for Best Foreign Language Film (won)

## If you liked this

- *Day for Night* (1973): Truffaut’s answer: a film shoot where everything goes wrong and the director loves it anyway
- *Wild Strawberries* (1957), Fi1m 88: Bergman sends an old man through his memories on a single day’s drive — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/wild-strawberries.md)
- *All That Jazz* (1979), Fi1m 84: Fosse’s version, with dance numbers and a hospital bed, borrowed openly from Fellini — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/all-that-jazz.md)
- *Mirror* (1975): Tarkovsky’s memory film, slower and stranger, with no jokes at all
- *Stardust Memories* (1980): Woody Allen’s homage, down to the traffic jam, sourer and shorter

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/812