I'm a Born Liar: A Fellini Lexicon [Hardcover]

Damian Pettigrew (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 1, 2003

This study is based on a candid and revealing series of interviews with Federico Fellini conducted the year before his death on 29th October 1993. Fellini, who directed a host of legendary films, including "La Strada and "La Dolce Vita", was an exuberant storyteller with a wild imagination, and the interviews capture his energy and passion. Through the course of the interviews Fellini candidly discusses seemingly every aspect of his work, from his early life to his relationship with Italian history and culture, to the inspiration behind his films, revealing his motivations, desires and passions. Subjects include women ("the unknown planet"), neurosis ("fabulous treasure buried at the bottom of the sea"), cinema ("not about delivering messages but about raising questions"), actors ("puppets"), Marcello Mastroianni, memory, marriage and more. In collaboration with the Cineteca di Bologna, the Fellini Foundation has worked to assemble, restore and conserve a large body of rare and forgotten photographs of Fellini. A selection of these never-before-published images illustrates this text.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Documentarian Pettigrew was introduced by novelist Italo Calvino to Federico Fellini (1920–1993) on the set of Fellini's And the Ship Sails On (1983). In 1991–1992, Pettigrew shot in-depth interviews with Fellini, material later used in his documentary Fellini: I'm a Born Liar (2003). Returning to their original q&a, Pettigrew has now extracted an alphabetical compilation of quotes from Fellini's responses. With an underlying theme of creativity, it runs the A-to-Z gamut from actors ("An actor's face and body are more important to me than plot structure"), Anita Ekberg ("a glorious apparition!") and Antonioni, to clowns, death, God, guilt, Hollywood, music, puppets, vagabonds, Visconti and women, "the source of man's creativity." As screenwriter Tullio Kezich notes in his foreword, Fellini is a "matador of words." Beautiful page designs by Brankica Kovrlija are festooned with torn-paper effects and flamboyant fonts, a stylish setting to display 125 illustrations, including numerous never-before-published photographs courtesy of the Fellini Foundation and the Cineteca di Bologna. Striking sepia scrapbook photos appear alongside imaginative color images from such masterworks as Amarcord, Satyricon and Juliet of the Spirits. Amid creamy b&w stills from 8 1/2,La Dolce Vita, La Strada and others, production photos capture Fellini on Cinecittà sets, directing and gesticulating. "Real life doesn't interest me," Fellini once said. His flair for fantasy and visual poetry is evident throughout this rich, ornate volume. 125 photos.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

One reason Fellini's masterworks La Strada, La Dolce Vita, and 8 are so memorable is that they're infused with his singular personality. Fellini's passionate, life-loving, fanciful personality is equally on display in this collection of interviews, conducted shortly before his death in 1992, that also formed the basis of the documentary I'm a Born Liar. Segments of conversation are arranged in a topical alphabet, from "the actor's face" to "women." Besides commenting on nearly all his films, Fellini offers his views on such colleagues as Antonioni, Visconti, and Kurosawa; actor Marcello Mastroianni, composer Nino Rota, and other frequent collaborators; and such unexpected subjects as "I Ching," "LSD," and "rhinoceros milk." Most of his remarks are more whimsical than profound; for example, on the filmmaking process, "The first two weeks, I direct the film; after that the film directs me." Almost as impressive as the maestro's words are the 125 black-and-white stills and behind-the-scenes photographs that accompany them. The casual, anecdotal approach may frustrate serious cineasts, but buffs and browsers will be entertained. Gordon Flagg
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 176 pages
• Publisher: Harry N. Abrams (December 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0810946173
• ISBN-13: 978-0810946170
• Product Dimensions: 11.6 x 8.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,917,695 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Spiritual Testament, January 23, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: I'm a Born Liar: A Fellini Lexicon (Hardcover)

This deluxe edition of what renowned Fellini specialist Tullio Kezich describes as the Maestro's "spiritual testament" (in his superb foreword to the book) is bona fide Fellini-esque. Hilarious anecdotes are squeezed in beside a number of very moving meditations on old age, sex, LSD, unemployment, Trivial Pursuit, God, Dante, death and the Hereafter. The newly restored black-and-white photos capturing the Italian director's surreal world are well-served by an excellent English translation. The final entry in the lexicon is a fairy tale titled "Zio Lupo" or "Uncle Wolf" and it pretty much defines Fellini's insatiability. Highly recommended.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Hysterical and witty!, June 28, 2008

By 

G. Castaneda (San Diego) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: I'm a Born Liar: A Fellini Lexicon (Hardcover)

This book was fantastically entertaining! The man is as chaotic, eccentric, and strange as you would probably guess but did you know he was funny as well! Of course it is a bizarre sense of humor and some of it very nonsensical but it is interesting nonetheless. I couldn't put it down and since it is not written as an autobiography but snippets of interviews on a variety of topics--you can pick it up and begin reading on any page. I loved this book. A huge book for a huge personality and the pictures are amazing! Black and white rare photos of actors and scenes from his most memorable movies. Many of these are worthy of framing.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent service, March 14, 2008

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zeldazonk "zeldaz" (new york city) - See all my reviews

This review is from: I'm a Born Liar: A Fellini Lexicon (Hardcover)

This book arrived in perfect condition and I received a very warm e-mail from the seller acknowledging my order and the shipment. Perfect!