Review of Amarcord (1973) by Brandon S — 11 Apr 2017

With more bawdy humor than one may expect from Fellini, this eccentric and breathless work of sheer genius has you in its talons from the word go.

With few exceptions, Fellini tends to prefer the truth of a moment rather than simply calling attention to the craft with flashy camera work. As such, "Amarcord" is not a flashy film, but it is bright, fun, well-intentioned, and gentle of spirit.

I've noticed that Federico Fellini's work tended to be more about finding detail and intimacy in the midst of a grand design. Every moment feels like a lavish set piece of costuming, subtext, writing, directing, and performance.

It's about fascism, young love, education, family, and the daily goings-on in a very specific Italian town. But you never feel the weight of those ideas unless he wants you to, because he's a master craftsman, and this is as confident a work as one is likely to see from him.