Few Italian directors are as famous as Federico Fellini, whose name is well known all over the world thanks to his work as a director. He was one of the first directors outside of English-speaking countries to be widely recognized by audiences in those English-speaking countries, including the United States.

He produced over 20 feature films between 1950 and the early 1990s and died in 1993 at the age of 73. All of Fellini’s films are compelling and defined by his signature style, but some are better than others and the following represent him at his best. . These are arguably the most important Fellini films, at least according to IMDb users, with the films ranked lower according to their average rating on the site.

COLLIDER VIDEO OF THE DAY

SCROLL TO CONTINUE CONTENT

10 ‘Roma’ (1972)

Roma - 1972
Image via Ultra Film

IMDb rating: 7.3/10

Not to be confused with another film called Roma (since 2018), Fellini Roma (1972) presents the director at his most bizarre and unpredictable. Although he made a few films before 1972 that did not have much specific storytelling, they tended to have a main character who could help viewers see events from a single point of view.

IN Roma, however, there is no central character, just as there is no single consistent ensemble. He jumps from place to place and from character to character, aiming to give a sometimes funny, sometimes dramatic and almost always fabulous look at the history of Italy’s capital through much of the 20th century. Roma complicated watch, but interesting, even if it probably only really resonates with Fellini fanatics.

9 ‘Fraud’ (1955)

Fraud - 1955
Image via Titanus Distributione

IMDb rating: 7.5/10

Even with a respectable 7.5/10 rating on IMDb, it’s pretty easy to name the 1955s. Fraud one of Federico Fellini’s most underrated films as it is not discussed as often as his most famous classic. It is a thrilling crime film that follows a group of con men on various missions, most often scamming struggling people for the little money they have.

This can make it a surprisingly dark film, even if it has a bit of a comedic edge at times. It’s a bit odd at times, but far more realistic than many of Fellini’s later films, with a more serious second half and, in particular, a dramatic ending.

8 “And the Ship Sails” (1983)

And the ship is sailing - 1983
Image via Gaumont

IMDb rating: 7.5/10

And the ship sails on is another Federico Fellini film with a light plot, but its setting is limited to a luxury cruise ship, which ensures it can’t branch out as much as the aforementioned one. Romawho had the whole city as a cinematic set. Most of it follows a journalist meeting strange people on a ship, and the film’s more dramatic final act revolves around the captain’s decision to rescue various refugees and let them aboard.

This part guarantees And the ship sails on turns into something of a war movie, given that it is set in 1914 and the refugees were affected by the start of what would become known as World War I. spectators.

7 ‘Juliet of Spirits’ (1965)

Juliet Spirits - 1965
Image via Cineriz

IMDb rating: 7.5/10

While Federico Fellini flirted with fantasy until 1965, juliet spirits I saw that the director sincerely accepted this genre. The film begins as a drama about a woman suspecting her husband of cheating on her, but becomes increasingly surreal and dreamlike as she uses mystique to build up the courage to stand up to him and eventually leave him.

It is notable for its unusualness, the fact that it was Fellini’s first film not shot in black and white, and its real subtext. As he often did, Fellini left his wife, Juliet Mazinastarring, and given how the film directly tackles the themes of infidelity and marital problems, it certainly was a bold move that could lead to some interesting interpretations.

6 ‘I am Vitelloni’ (1953)

I am Vitelloni - 1953

IMDb rating: 7.8/10

With only his third feature film, Federico Fellini has established himself as a force to be reckoned with. I am Vitelloni perhaps his first great film, or at least it can be seen as an underrated classic in his filmography, about a group of friends going through the ups and downs of life while living in a small Italian town.

This film exemplifies his former style well, as it was not until the 1960s that he became more fantastical and surreal in the images he showed on screen. Instead of, I am Vitelloni is small, human, and quite possibly related, clearly serving as a snapshot of life in post-World War II Italy, as well as more broadly showing what life is like for adults who are not yet quite old, though still some distance away from youth.

5 “Amarcord” (1973)

picture from the movie amarcord
Image via Warner Bros.

IMDb rating: 7.9/10

Amarcord the title can roughly be translated as “I remember” in English, which is quite appropriate. This is perhaps Federico Fellini’s most nostalgic film, and also one of his most personal, as it is a semi-autobiographical look at life in a small Italian town in the 1930s, based on Fellini’s own experiences as a child/adolescent.

Of all the films he made after the end of the 1960s, Amarcord is undoubtedly his best known and was screened out of competition at the Cannes Film Festival in 1974. As with many of Fellini’s films, the plot is uncomplicated, but the concept is strong enough to keep it moving and engaging, and just as captivating are the evocative images. made up scene after scene.

4 ‘La Strada’ (1954)

Giulietta Masina with clown makeup in La Strada
Image via Paramount Films of Italy

IMDb rating: 8.0/10

Another film by Federico Fellini, in which realism is more important than nostalgia, dreams and memories. La Strada, is one of the great director’s darkest efforts. It follows a young woman (once again played by Giulietta Mazina) who is sold into a traveling circus, and the experience ends up causing intense emotional anguish and distress.

Various other Fellini films from the 1950s that feature characters struggling for life have a bit of comedy to balance the drama, but La Strada is a perpetually gloomy affair. It’s not easy to watch but impresses and feels authentic and powerful, capitalizing on Masina’s performance as the likable protagonist and Anthony Quinn as the film’s antagonist.

3 “Sweet Life” (1960)

Sweet Life - 1960 (1)

IMDb rating: 8.0/10

In addition to the anthology film Boccaccio ’70 (which had several directors), sweet life - the longest and most exciting film by Federico Fellini. It follows a promiscuous journalist named Marcello Rubini and has an episodic structure in which he meets increasingly strange people while covering various unusual events.

He pokes fun at the media and celebrity culture in many of his scenes, and these parts remain the best even 60 years after release. It’s a huge and arguably unwieldy film, but it could also be its greatest strength because the experience is overwhelming in every way. It’s funny, sad, and extremely thought-provoking, and is often deservedly considered one of the best films of the 1960s.

2 “8½” (1963)

Italian director Guido Anselmi (Marcello Mastroianni) falls asleep while reading a newspaper in 8 1/2.
Image via Columbia Pictures

IMDb rating: 8.0/10

turns out to be even more semi-autobiographical than Amarcord, though the fact that it’s mostly set in the 1960s (with some surreal flashbacks) makes it a little less nostalgic. His story of a struggling filmmaker overwhelmed with work, memories and various dreams probably reflects how Fellini felt during the most successful period of his career.

This is a film that demonstrates how a meta-narrative approach does not always lead to comedy, asquite serious, but also often surreal, which gives it a strange and hard to forget feeling. Still, it’s still fun to watch thanks to its imaginative scenes, bold visuals, and Fellini’s willingness to conduct a deep psychological exploration of his mind, capturing the results on film for all to see.

1 “Nights of Cabiria” (1957)

Image via Paramount Pictures

IMDb rating: 8.1/10

Nights of Cabiria Possibly the most emotional film by Federico Fellini and understandably the highest rated on IMDb. It goes well with the same heavy La Stradathe Nights of Cabiria also stars his wife Juliette Mazina and sees her character endure the hardships of the life she finds herself in.

Here she plays a prostitute who is looking for love while working in Rome, but never finds it. Thus, it also turns out to be comparable to sweet lifethis movie is also about the protagonist who wants love but can’t find it due to his profession. La Strada sad and impressive, telling a simple yet powerful story in a way that is still relevant today.