Fellini's Nostalgic Ride in "Amarcord"

In 1973, at the age of 53, Italian master film maker Federico Fellini decided to take us on a nostalgic ride to the town of Rimini where he grew up. In a delectable blend of surreal,

farcical and baroque images, we are introduced to a bevy of colorful characters that populate this beloved 1930's town: sexually-curious Titta (the delightful Bruno Zanin), town bombshell Gradisca (the voluptuous Magali Noel), annotating lawyer (Luigi Rossi) who keeps breaking the fourth wall to chat with the audience, Titta's parents and mad uncle, the crazy motorcycle rider, the bossomy store keeper, and several other zany characters.

There isn't a well delineated structure in terms of plot, but Fellini lovingly places his characters like pawns on a chess board as homage to the people he once knew. Each has their place in this thoughtful piece of narrative.

My favorite scenes involve the playful Titta: his confession with a priest (where he debates with himself if he has to tell the priest of his "touching himself", deftly enumerating his sources of temptation; the scene where Titta finally gets the big-boobed store keeper to himself - see first photo above). There are more unforgettable images: the festive opening scene where puffballs are seen drifting across town; the foggy night; the wintery dance scene, the lunatic relative climbing a tree, the fascists marching into the town square, etc.

The film features a dynamic movement, though they don't necessarily follow a narrative string. Emotions are overtly expressed; there is a covert rhetoric in the characters' manner of delivery. These are hallmarks of the baroque movement, encouraged by the Roman Catholic Church from the 16th to the 18th century; and religiosity is evident in the character's way of living.

"Amarcord" aka "I Remember" is considered to be Fellini's most accessible film, and if anyone decides to start taking on the European Masters, this should be his first foray into Federico Fellinni's works. It won Oscar's Best Foreign Language in 1975.

The town bombshell Gradisca take s a lazy stroll with her friends.

Federico Fellini

Fellini with wife Giuletta