The Cinema of Federico Fellini (Paperback)

~ Peter Bondanella (Author) "THE GENESIS of most of Federico Fellini's artistic and intellectual concerns, as well as many of his thematic preoccupations in his films, must be traced..." (more)
Key Phrases: monastery episode, degh spiriti, sceicco bianco, Federico Fellini, Fellini Satyricon, Tullio Pinelli (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Bondanella (Italian and film studies, Indiana Univ.) is a well-published authority on Italian films and Federico Fellini. Here he presents a complex, academic analysis of the director's entire oeuvre , drawing on newly available archival material. Fellini's reputation as a somewhat arrogant, dictatorial genius is further reinforced. Particularly interesting are the examinations of the significant influence of psychologist Carl Jung's writings on Fellini's artistic development and the enduring relevance of Fellini's early career as a cartoonist. This demanding study is recommended for subject collections. The best introductory volume is still Stuart Rosenthal's The Cinema of Federico Fellini ( LJ 12/15/76), but it is out of print.
-Richard W. Grefrath, Univ. of Nevada Lib., Reno
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

Peter Bondanella, an esteemed scholar of Italian film, has committed an act of daring. It's the best kind of daring - unselfconscious and authentic. . . Courageous in ideational independence, he is equally steadfast in his enterprise - to understand and explicate and important artist's process. He does this to an impressive degree, not with clinical smugness but with relish and respect. His book is a loving and helpful tribute. -- Review

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Product Details

• Paperback: 392 pages
• Publisher: Princeton University Press (April 15, 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0691008752
• ISBN-13: 978-0691008752
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #614,518 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars "Please open your books to page one...", December 18, 2003

By	Lao Che (Central New York) - See all my reviews

I've been a fanatic over Federico's work since I first saw FELLINI ROMA in a classroom one Friday night in college. I came across a poster advertising the scheduled screening; it was an image from one of the last, most unsettling scenes in the film - a very Catholic fashion show. My interest was piqued enough to spend an evening in a classroom rather than other social pursuits; and what a classroom it was. I was one of maybe three people in the room that night. I can't explain in words what I saw on the screen - it was simply incredible. It felt like my world opened a little bit more; my own dreams and ideas didn't seem quite so ridiculous.

I started to hunt down other films by this director, reading articles, reviews, anything. I eventually came across Mr. Bondanella's book, and found it to be a wonderful companion piece to the work of Fellini. It reads like a textbook, but his incites into the craft and visions of Fellini are wonderful. That said, I didn't take his interpretations as gospel - this book provides an excellent jumping off point into understanding Fellini's world - the fantasies and the world that inspired them.

I recommend this book highly to fans of Fellini and students of film in general - a fantastic document. It attempts, and I think succeeds, to capture the story of a rare kind of brilliance.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars If I could I'd give this 8 1/2 stars., December 3, 2004

By	Brad Paul "letmarthalive" (Crawfordsville, IN) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

An excellent discourse on Fellini's development as a director and his creative process. Bondanella knew Fellini personally and saved many items revealing the interworkings of Fellini's creativity that would have otherwise been destroyed by Fellini himself. Recommended to any and all film students or film buffs.