8 1/2 - 6

This film is odd because it is a film about making a film. Terry Gilliam in the DVD introduction talks about how it is Fellini's take on what it is like to be a film director. If this is true than this quote sums up what might be the thesis of the film, "Guido: I thought my ideas were so clear. I wanted to make an honest film. No lies whatsoever. I thought I had something so simple to say. Something useful to everybody. A film that could help bury forever all those dead things we carry within ourselves. Instead, I'm the one without the courage to bury anything at all. When did I go wrong? I really have nothing to say, but I want to say it all the same." The film is about the confusion between reality and imagination that collide in the directors head, which makes him want to do contradictory things, both help everyone get along and kill himself. The film really should have gone with its original title "The Beautiful Confusion." It takes some time to get into the film and may take a few viewings to catch all of the things that Fellini is saying. A must see for those really interested in film, not recommended for those that hate subtitles and complicated storytelling.