After hearing almost nothing but praise for Fellini's nostalgic look at a small, wacky town full of colorful characters (and having thoroughly enjoyed "8 1/2", "La Dolce Vita", "I Vitelloni" , and "The White Sheik") I was very excited when I popped in the DVD. However, as the film dragged on, I found my self sadly disenchanted.
First off, the costumes, sets, camera-work and acting are all superb, so I can't complain about those elements. The use color and lighting in the film is excellent as well, as is the score and soundtrack. Therefore, technically speaking, it is a very good film. However, the biggest problems I had were with the script and perhaps the story itself. I never cared about these characters. I didn't care who they were, what they did, or what the consequences were. I felt very disconnected throughout and unengaged. This is not to say it didn't have its moments. There are several scenes that made me laugh or smile, but they were too few, in my opinion. Maybe I simply don't "get" or like Italian humor? Another "turn off" for me was the toilet humor, mainly the gags concerning flatulence and masturbation. I find this crude more than funny. No, I wasn't offended, but I've never found bodily functions funny, so these moments of the film did nothing for me.
So, while it was a technically great film, and it clearly had a lot of heart and soul put into it (being a labor of love for Fellini), "Amarcord" ultimately left me with much to be desired.
First off, the costumes, sets, camera-work and acting are all superb, so I can't complain about those elements. The use color and lighting in the film is excellent as well, as is the score and soundtrack. Therefore, technically speaking, it is a very good film. However, the biggest problems I had were with the script and perhaps the story itself. I never cared about these characters. I didn't care who they were, what they did, or what the consequences were. I felt very disconnected throughout and unengaged. This is not to say it didn't have its moments. There are several scenes that made me laugh or smile, but they were too few, in my opinion. Maybe I simply don't "get" or like Italian humor? Another "turn off" for me was the toilet humor, mainly the gags concerning flatulence and masturbation. I find this crude more than funny. No, I wasn't offended, but I've never found bodily functions funny, so these moments of the film did nothing for me.
So, while it was a technically great film, and it clearly had a lot of heart and soul put into it (being a labor of love for Fellini), "Amarcord" ultimately left me with much to be desired.