City Of Women (18.)
Directed by Federico Fellini. 1980
Starring Marcello Mastroianni, Anna Prucnal, Donatella Damiani, Bernice Steggers and Ettore Manni. 139 mins. Released on Blu-ray as part of Eureka’s Masters of Cinema series
In Annie Hall, when Woody Allen gets stuck on a movie line in front of a pontificating know-it-all, one of the opinions he spits in Allen’s ear is that Fellini is, “One of the most indulgent filmmakers.” He’s right of course. But he’s also a filmmaker who is among the easiest and most rewarding to indulge.
City of Women takes some sticking with and doesn’t perhaps amount to much, but it does reward your indulgence. Mastroianni (who else?) is the man who follows a beautiful woman off a train only to find himself stuck in a feminist convention. After that he takes sanctuary in the house of a man who is about to celebrate a landmark sexual conquest.
The first hour is relatively subdued visually and is almost interminable as Mastroianni flutters around being hectored by an array of caricature feminist harridans. Once he escapes the hotel the film takes off becomes typical Fellini – gaudy and foolish but filled with visual wonders and images so indelible you can’t help yielding.
Directed by Federico Fellini. 1980
Starring Marcello Mastroianni, Anna Prucnal, Donatella Damiani, Bernice Steggers and Ettore Manni. 139 mins. Released on Blu-ray as part of Eureka’s Masters of Cinema series
In Annie Hall, when Woody Allen gets stuck on a movie line in front of a pontificating know-it-all, one of the opinions he spits in Allen’s ear is that Fellini is, “One of the most indulgent filmmakers.” He’s right of course. But he’s also a filmmaker who is among the easiest and most rewarding to indulge.
City of Women takes some sticking with and doesn’t perhaps amount to much, but it does reward your indulgence. Mastroianni (who else?) is the man who follows a beautiful woman off a train only to find himself stuck in a feminist convention. After that he takes sanctuary in the house of a man who is about to celebrate a landmark sexual conquest.
The first hour is relatively subdued visually and is almost interminable as Mastroianni flutters around being hectored by an array of caricature feminist harridans. Once he escapes the hotel the film takes off becomes typical Fellini – gaudy and foolish but filled with visual wonders and images so indelible you can’t help yielding.
