#76: Amarcord

Amarcord (Fellini, 1973)

Not my favorite Fellini, Amarcord shows a cross section of the year in a life of an Italian village during Mussolini's reign. Although the symbols of fascism are there and in the background, they're mostly not part of the story. The villagers pay lip service to fascism, but it doesn't change the way they live very much. The story is very narrative and whimsical, following several different threads and going off on many different tangents. For instance, there's one part where the narrator stops and tells you a story about an Islamic diplomat who came to town with his thirty concubines, and shows up the story a street vendor made up about how the concubines invited them up into their rooms so he could make love to all of them. Another time, one of the main character's schizophrenic brother climbs up in a tree and starts throwing rocks at people screaming "I WANT A WOMAN!" The approach to the characters is pretty typical for Fellini. Eccentric characters, self-unaware of their idiosyncracy. All of it is more amusing than it is interesting. It's a film you should see if you're a fan of Fellini, but not essential.

Rating: *** 1/2 / 5

84/100

It looks like way back in March I skipped a number, so this makes 84, not 85.

Next: The Godfather Part II, L'aventura

Left:
#8 The Seven Samurai
#17 Casablanca
#21 Touch Of Evil
#28 Psycho
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#33 Dr Strangelove
#35 Apocalypse Now
#40 Blade Runner
#45 It's A Wonderful Life
#53 The Seventh Seal
#60 Au Hasard Balthazar
#66 The Wizard Of Oz
#84 Barry Lyndon
#99 Blue Velvet