Amarcord

When I hear talk of European film, I think of Amarcord. If I hear the word puberty, I think of the powerful breasts of the tobacconist, a horny Fox and masturbating in the car. And when I hear Amarcord, I think of a warm and loving film that sketches a portrait of an Italian small town with all its sweetness and tribulations with relaxed strokes with a slight exaggeration. I think of a motorcyclist called Fart, a bunch of teenagers, a stunted nun, an angry father and a farting grandfather. Just a film that's close to me and that's fascinated me for years. So many beautiful mini-stories, so much humor, so much love for the characters. Amarcord is a magnificent celebration of storytelling and directorial skills, open cinematic souls... Just everything that European cinema means to me at its best. (2004.01.25)

I thought that Fellini really wouldn't be for me, but this is a film that clicked with me, and it's not just because of the large breasts. I really liked this quite human conception of how it is possible to mature, plus the scenes that you don't see much in contemporary films. The openness of human life in contrast to a time that was supposed to bring society into a deadly convulsion. (2015.09.23)

Fellini's last chance reconciled me with the Italian classic. Even Federico succumbed to nostalgia, and it was so well done that I couldn't completely erase it from my mind for several years after watching it. In boyhood experiences, all impressions are exaggerated, all characters believably black and white, and all adventures unforgettable. Although here the director does go too far at one point when he lets the countryside episode go too far beyond the limits of tolerable absurdity, overall Amarcord is his most digestible and best film for me. (2006.05.30)

Based, for example, on the film Day for Night, filmmaking is primarily hard work, which can sometimes be fun. But during the filming of Amarcord, the crew, actors, and extras clearly treated it more like a happening and enjoyed the whole process wonderfully. I'm not entirely sure if today's viewers feel the same way. The ratings would suggest so, but I have the impression that Amarcord is exactly the type of film where some people add a little bit of snobbishness, many because they respect the name of the world-famous Italian director. Amarcord works based on individual images and short scenes, but, in my opinion, it fails as a whole. Some time ago, when I reviewed Woody Allen's Radio Days, I compared it to Amarcord and The Elementary School in the comments. The genre similarities are obvious, but Amarcord reveals its weaknesses in comparison to both titles. The Elementary School received the highest rating from me because it resonated with me due to its connection to the Czech environment. Radio Days is a wonderful retro film, and both movies work excellently as a whole. Ultimately, Amarcord only gets 3 stars from me because it lacks a strong plot and feels fragmented. It is a series of grotesque images, bizarre characters, and small jokes, but what bothers me is the overacting. It is overly stylized and overexposed. Radio Days and The Elementary School are much more down-to-earth. Despite these criticisms, Amarcord remains a film that reflects the talent of a director with a sense of film imagination. Overall impression: 60%. (2013.11.10)

Although the existential La Dolce Vita remains the pinnacle of Fellini's oeuvre, this work caresses the soul like few films from the European landscape of the time. A slightly peculiar and obscene, but affectionate, strongly poetic, yet perfectly comprehensible and rhythmically plotted view of one year in an (in)ordinary Italian town, which is not only formally charming and entertaining, but above all – in its depiction of unbridled erotic desire during adolescence or the hilarious peripeteia of a long-standing family union – timeless and true. Who doesn't have their own charming Gradisca, a busty Tobacconist, a crazy fairy tale maker or an eternally horny nymph like La Volpina in the vicinity of their home? :) 85% (2015.10.07)