FILM · 1963 · ITALY
8½
- Directed by
- Federico Fellini
- Runtime
- 139 min
- Studio
- Cineriz, Francinex
23 archived facts 5 topics 1 source Last reviewed Nov 2026
Guido Anselmi, a film director, finds himself creatively barren at the peak of his career. Urged by his doctors to rest, Anselmi heads for a luxurious resort, but a sorry group gathers—his producer, staff, actors, wife, mistress, and relatives—each one begging him to get on with the show. In retreat from their dependency, he fantasizes about past women and dreams of his childhood.
23 Interesting Facts About 8½
Interesting Facts (18)
- #001
Often cited by Federico Fellini himself as one of his favorite films ever, even considering other directors' works.
- #002
The title refers to the number of films Federico Fellini had directed up to that point: six feature films, two short films (films number 7 and 8), and one film co-directed with Alberto Lattuada, making a total of 8½ films.
- #003
In the rehearsal scene, the love theme from The Godfather (1972) can be heard on the piano. It was in fact taken from Fortunella (1958). Nino Rota recycled his music from the earlier film for The Godfather. When this came to light, the Oscar nomination for The Godfather was withdrawn.
- #004
Despite being the most admired film, Claudia Cardinale has only about eight minutes of screen time in the entire film.
- #005
In the original ending, Guido and his wife were seen sitting together in the dining car of a train bound for Rome. Lost in thought, Guido looked up and saw all the characters in his film smiling at him indistinctly as the train entered a tunnel. Federico Fellini later shot an alternative ending set at dusk around the spaceship on the beach, but he intended to use the scenes only as a promotional trailer. However, he and his co-writers decided that this alternative sequence served as a more harmonious and exuberant ending for the film.
- #006
It is David Lynch's favorite film.
- #007
Most of the actors in the film use their own real-life names.
- #008
It is Martin Scorsese's favorite film.
- #009
This is Federico Fellini's last black-and-white film.
- #010
The street magician's appearance and act.
- #011
This film is part of the Criterion Collection as spine number 140.
- #012
In 2002 it was named among the 50 best films of the last 50 years by "Positif" (France) (critics' choice: #3).
- #013
The film's final scene was most likely the inspiration for the final scene in The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension (1984). In both films, the entire cast returns and joins the main character, walking around a large set while whimsical music plays in the background.
- #014
The "Vergogna" sign that Guido wears while being disciplined by priests in his childhood means "Shame."
- #015
This was Hazel Rogers's last film.
- #016
This was Elisabetta Cini's last film.
- #017
Two actresses in supporting roles also appeared in other American film classics. Madeleine Lebeau (the French actress in the role of Madeleine) played Yvonne in "Casablanca," and Eddra Gale (in the role of La Saraghina) played the woman on the bus at the end of "The Graduate." Eddra Gale (credited in this film as "Edra") is an American character actress.
- #018
Italian censorship visa # 39461 was issued on 6-2-1963.
Production Story (1)
- #019
During post-production, a strike at the development and printing laboratory at Cinecittà prevented Federico Fellini from checking the daily footage. It is reported that he never saw the material shot until the film reached the editing stage.
Characters & Cast (1)
- #020
At one point Federico Fellini wanted to cast Laurence Olivier in the lead role.
Deeper Meaning (2)
- #021
During Guido's first childhood scene at the large farmhouse, his female cousin reminds him of a spell called ASA NISI MASA, which she says gives her the ability to make the eyes in a portrait point to a hidden treasure. This coded phrase leaves such an impression on Guido that nearly 40 years later it becomes psychically reachable for a pair of magicians who successfully read "Asa nisi masa" from Guido's mind. Federico Fellini seemingly uses the phrase to establish a link between Guido's past and present, but it is more significant than a simple bridge between scenes. Asa nisi masa is in fact a single word encoded in a children's game language similar to pig Latin. When the second syllable of each word is removed, what remains is the word "Anima." This is the Italian word meaning soul. Fellini, who was also interested in the work of psychoanalyst Carl Gustav Jung, knew that Jung used the word anima to describe the personification of repressed feminine traits in a man (animus describes the personification of repressed masculine traits in a woman). Asa nisi masa can therefore be interpreted as a reference to Guido's confusion about women.
- #022
Obligatory rear view mirror in Claudia's Porsche at 1 hour 57 present then missing depending on scene and camera viewpoint .
Career & Awards (1)
- #023
It formed the basis of the Broadway musical "Nine," which won the Tony Award for best musical in 1982 and for best musical revival in 2003.
Sources & editorial notes
Reference databases
- Wikipedia
- IMDb
Information from external sources is independently selected, consolidated and edited by Arka Evren. Sources are listed for verification and further reading. Encyclopedia text is used under its licence (CC BY-SA). How we work