Federico Fellini is considered an auteur filmmaker according to auteur theory. His films had recognizable recurring themes and visual cues that reflected his artistic vision, even as his style evolved over his career from neorealism-inspired films to more fantastical works. A key turning point was his 1960 film La Dolce Vita, which shifted to a more abstract, surreal visual style while still exploring themes of reality and superficiality. Throughout his career, Fellini maintained control over his films and worked frequently with the same collaborators. While his style changed in its use of surreal imagery and dream-like sequences, core elements of his films like biographical influences and theatrical performances remained consistent in establishing

1. How is Auteur Theory Relevant When Analysing the Work of Federico Fellini?
FedericoFellini,aname synonymous withthe surreal andthe fantastical.A wordbornfrom his
name ‘Felliniesque’aphrase usedtodescribe “onthe surface somethingbizarre orstrange,butlike
a painterworkingonfilm”asthe greatMartin Scorsese articulates,amanwhocan perfectly
describe whyFelliniissospecial.Thatisnot the purpose of thiswriting, duringthis discussionIwill
be investigatingFedericoFellini’sfilmography,how hisstyle hasevolved throughoutthe four
decades of hiscareer. I will make the case that he remainsa true auteurthroughouthisworkeven
thoughhis filmsgothrougha drasticstylisticevolution particularlyseeninhis1960 masterpiece La
Dolce Vita. Fellini’sstyle hasarootedcore whichstill makeshimanauteurfrom his 1950 debut
feature in VarietyLights to hisfinal feature TheVoiceof the Moon (1990). I will conductthis
explorationbyresearchinghispastandfilmographyextensively,thisincludesmicroandmacro
analysis andthe applicationof the theory.
The bestacademicfilmtheorytoapplyto Fellini isauteurtheory. AuteurTheoryisawayof looking
at filmsthatstate that the directoris the ‘author’of a film.The Auteurtheoryarguesthata film
reflects the director’sartisticvision;so,amovie directedbyagivenfilmmakerwill have
recognizable,recurringthemesandvisual cuesthatinformthe audience whothe directoris.
FrancoisTruffaut,who wrote academicessaysonthe subjectsays “-- Of course filmsare made by a
whole teamsof people buteithersomeonehassomethingtosayor someone hascertainideas
aboutlife,orcinemaor the world.”
Fellini startedmakingfilmsinthe 1950s withhisfeature debut Variety Lights whomhe hadto share
a directingcreditwith AlbertoLattuada,althoughFellini’sname doesn’tappearsolo,hisfirstfilmstill
contains some stylisticelementswhichstill cementsitasa part-FedericoFellini film. A lotof the
themeshe explored,andhisstylisticapproachcanbe seendevelopinginhisyoungeryears. He grew
up inthe timesof fascismina dull seaside townof Rimini,bornthere in1920. Fellini longedfor
creative freedomandescape of hisstrictandboringlife althoughthe manhimselfhassaid
repressinghiscreativitywasgoodasit's just“dyingto burstand explode”. AsFellini wasavery
creative child,he enjoyeddrawing cartoons andreadingcomicstrips,especially LittleNemo abouta
boywho wouldgoto sleepanddreamaboutfantastical things,likeFellini himself. He wouldattend
the Rimini cinemafrequently,towatchAmericanfilmssuchasCharlie ChaplinandMarx Brothers.
Anotherparamount developmentinFellini’schildhoodwashislove forthe circus,he first attended
at age 7. He was shockedandfrightenedat first, butthe circuswould laterinspire andinfluence him
greatly. Finallyatage 18 Felliniwasgrantedhiswishtomove toRome. He beganhisworkas a
cartoonist, he impressedthe editorswithhiscaricaturesandskill. He wasquietlyworkinginRome
duringthe 40s, happilymarriedtoactressGiuliettaMasina.Fellini made hisjumpintothe moviedom
whenhe was approachedby directorRobertoRossellini tohelphimwrite the screenplayfor Rome,
Open City (1945). The filmwasa massive successandlaunched the careersforbothFellini and
Rossellini,itwasthe catalystinsparkingthe filmmovementof neorealism.Fellini continuedtowork
withRossellini,andotherdirectors,asa screenwriter upuntil hismomentousfeature debut. His
filmswentontobecome more successful afterthe other,winningawardsandbreakingbox office
records.In total,Fellini’sfilms received5AcademyAwards.Many have perceivedFellini’sstyle to
have developedthroughouthiscareer,mainlydue tothe drasticturnin his visual approach.The
music,performancesall remainedtop tier.Whatbecame more abstractwas the imageryhe
employed,surreal sequences anddance-likeflowingcamerawork.Withthisshiftinhisvisual and
thematicapproachFellini critiquedrealismasanimpossiblenotionbypointingupitsfabricationand
addingthe suppressedelementof the fantastic.Inhisownwords,“Imake a filminthe same manner
inwhichI live a dream…”

2. La Dolce Vita (1960) isseenas Fellini’sturningpoint asa director.Before he made La Dolce Vita,he
spentthe bestpart of a decade making neorealistinspiredfilmswith amore whimsical edge.Some
may sightthat he made worksof neorealism, butFellini neverreallyfellinline withthe ideasof
neorealism,he wasneverinterested inmakingfilms withamessage.He paidtribute toneorealism
by shootingonlocation,usingnon-actors(althoughthe maincastwouldalways consistof
professionalactors) andexploringthe themes of post-warpoverty,paintinghisownauthentic
depictionof life livedby the impoverished.Butwithininthatwasa personal journey,IVitelloni
(1953) on the surface presentslostsoulswanderinga townof dullness,longingforescape and
creativity.Thisincorporatinganeorealisticlens,butinfactthe filmisa journeyFellinitookhimself,
each character beinghisalter-ego,of course itismade apparentbythe endof the filmwhich
character trulyisFellini.The personal factorisone of the definingcharacteristicsof aFellini film, itis
carriedthrough hiswhole filmography withFellini stating, “all artisautobiographical”. Other
elementsincludehissense of beingtheatrical,beinginfluencedbyhislove of the circusandshows
alike,hisfilmswouldinclude performancesfromthere beingacharacter dancinginalmostall his
films,togranddance sequences,toentertainmentinnightclubs.They’re incrediblyfuntowatch,
thisuse of dance clearlyinfluencingsuchcontemporaryfilmmakersasBong Joon-hoandThomas
Vinterberg. The deeprootedsense of Fellini asanartistand visual storytellerwas the blendingof the
fantastical andreality.Thiscanbe seenas earlyas The White Sheik (1952) Fellini’s official solo
directorial debut,still inthe earlystagesof development,theyare certainlyapparent. Inonlyafew
small scenesare we to witnessthe fantastical bleedingintoreality;Wanda(playedbyBrunellaBovo)
stumblesthroughaforest,lostandalone,she thenhearssinginginthe distance.Thissingingcoming
fromher idol,The White Sheik,whoisona large swingbetweentwotall trees. The cameraisstaged
so we see The White Sheikbefore Wanda,he isbehindherswingingandsingingaway.Fora brief
glimmer,Fellini castsastroke of dramaticirony, before thisscene mostof the filmwastakenupby
Wanda obsessingovermeetinghim,we are anticipatinganencounter.Inourmindswe are spinning
aroundideasof how Wandawill meetthe titularSheik,of course none of themwillcome tofruition
as we are watchinga Fellinifilmwhere anythingcanhappen,eveninhissolo debut.The encounter
withthe Sheikis briefly giventousfirst as now we anticipate Wanda’sreaction.The scene is
wonderfullycalmandengrossing,withthe diegeticambiance of the Sheik’ssingingandbirds
tweeting. AsWandadigestswhoshe isfinallyinthe presence of,wordsescape her asshe sayshis
name.At thatpointNinoRota’smagical score quietly fadesinas we go to close-upsof the Sheik,the
camera followinghimashe goesupand downon hisswing. Twoclose-upsof the SheikandWanda
cut betweenone another,signifyingaconnectionbetweenthe two,thiscouldalsoactas
foreshadowingastheirrelationshipswillgrow throughoutthe film. The scene isjoyful andsilly,
there isan inherentlevel of absurdityanddreamlikenature,thiswasonlythe small beginning.
Additionally,the fantastical dream-likequalitiesof Fellini’sotherearlyworksare seeninGiulietta
Masina’sbeautiful yetplayful performances. Theyare stunningtowatch,particularlyin La Strada
(1954) and Nightsof Cabiria (1957) both filmsalso featuringimagesandsequencesthatchallenge
the fringe of realityandneorealisticvalues, nothingtoobizarre,justenoughtocasta poeticsurreal
mistoverthe films,perhaps beingtruerandmore human thanany otherneorealistfilms.The
change in hisapproach,as statedpreviously,canbe seeninhismost emblematicfilm,atthattime,
La Dolce Vita (1960). The shiftisn’tasjarringas you mightthink,alreadythe filmisadeparture from
hispreviouswork.The filmbeinganepisodicjourney,onthe surface about the unethical nature of
journalismandthe media,alsoafilmexploring the superficial yetseductivestyle andglamourof
Italianhighsocietywhilewe followthe maincharacterof MarcelloRubini (playedbythe brilliant
MarcelloMastroianni) afailedwriter, ashe navigatesthisworld andsearchesfora more meaningful
life.The filmalsoclockinginat175 minutes,Fellini’slongestfilmatthattime anduntil he died.
Enteringthe filmwithoutthispreconceivedknowledge,thisstory,symbolism, thematicdeparture of

3. hispreviouswork, will be made apparentbythe openingshot;ahelicoptertransportingastatue of
Christwithhisarms outstretched,behinditanother helicopterfollowstransportingthe all-important
press,carryingour maincharacter journalist,Marcelloandhisfriendphotographer,Paparazzo.The
Helicoptersflypastancientruins of aqueducts.Anotherdetail isapparent,thisisFellini’sfirstfilmin
a widescreenformat,Totalscope.The cinematographycertainlyexploitsthisfact,makingthe film
feel verygrandinscale.It scopesvariouspointsinthe life andworldof Marcello,the widescreen
allowsforFelliniandcinematographerOtello Martellitoexpose emptyspaces,create distance
betweencharactersandthe space theyinhabit. The filmcapturesthe world throughanobjective
lens,usingmedium,wide ortwoshots.The objectificationof the camerais a technique thathelps
bringthe theme of an unethical media,reportersandphotogtaphersthirstyforthe rightshot,the
rightstory,runningaroundlike animals.Italsoconveys the emptinessof thisworld,filledwithmusic
and entertainment,whilethe confusedMarcellowandersthe vacantstreetsof Rome. We see,in
firstfewof secondsthe ancientcityof Rome clashingwiththe modern,fancyhelicopterszoomingto
the city withthe juxtapositionof oldruinsand transportingastatue of Christ,the symbolismand
imagery are incrediblyapparent. A more iconicexample wouldbe the Trevi fountain scene oramore
subtle, yetdynamicexample wouldbe whenMarcelloentersSteiner’spartywithhisgirlfriend
Emma. Anotherpivotal momenthappensin La DolceVita (1960) that wouldchange hisvisual style
forever,thatisthe use of a studio.Before La Dolce Vita(1960) mostof Fellini’sfilmswereshoton
location,aswouldbe the norm forall neorealistorneorealisticinspiredworks.Clearlyreal locations
were usedinthe film,buthere Fellini optstouse setsinCinecittà’sstudios,reconstructingthe
famousViaVenetoand St.Peter’sBasilicainteriors. Rome islit,setanddressedonastage,while
eventswe see amediafrenzyover,are staged. Afterthishe wouldnevergoback to justusingreal
locations,he fell inlove withthe filmstudio.He hadmore control of whathe could make,birthing
such extravagantmasterpiecesas Fellini Satyricon (1969). The manhimself writes“the studioisnot
merelyaphysical place where Iwork,a place that cannotbe exchangedforanotherplace or
abolishedaltogether,butakindof mental andpsychological dwellingplace,the verymeansof
expressionforme.”
Auteurtheorywasbirthedinthe Frenchmagazine CahiersduCinemabycritic Andre Bazin.Ithas
beenthe topicof intellectualdebates fordecades,Ifindthe theorycertainlyhasmerit andshouldbe
appliedtothe suitable subject,asnoteverydirectorhasan automaticclaimto the title.Most
filmmakerswithavison,if that’sartisticintent,entertainmentorboth,are giventhe title by their
colleagues andcritics. Throughoutthe runningof this writing, Ihave beenmakingthe case as to why
FedericoFelliniisanauteur,an ultimate auteur.Some maysayFellini failedto remainanauteur
throughouthisearlyfilmographyalthoughasI’ve stated the definingcharacteristicsof aFederico
Fellini film,whichcanbe foundinall of hisfilms.As Truffautdescribesinanessay forCashiersdu
Cinema“the artistcannot alwaysdominate hiswork.He issometimesGod,othertimesitscreature.
One knowsthe modernplaywhose maincharacter,inpeakformwhenthe curtain rises,finds
himself fullyamputatedasthe playends,asa successive lossof eachof hislimbshasmarkedthe
changingof acts.” Fellini embodiedGodonhisfilmsets,he wouldactlike the ringmasterandthe
filmsetwashiscircus. He was incrediblycontrolling,oftenmimickingthe performance he would
wantfrom an actor, hisdemandswere soextreme he wouldmake actorsbreakdownandcry.Every
elementof hisfilmsis precisely navigatedbyhim,thiswe canclearlysee inhisfilms. There isalways
a componentof showmanship pointingtowardsamore poeticapproach. The onlythingthataltered
inhis style wasmore abstract andsurreal imagery, bizarre themesandmore autobiographical pieces
althoughthe question of factishazy,as Fellini himself states“itisimpertinentto call myfilms
autobiographical.Ihave inventedmyown life.Ihave inventeditspecificallyforthe screen...Ilived
to discoverandcreate a filmdirector:nomore.AndI can remembernothingelse.”However,there

4. have been criticismsof the theory,ClintEastwoodspokeoutagainstit saying, “Itendto put down
the auteurtheorybecause a lotof people embraceditasa one-man/one-conceptkindof thing,and
makinga movie isan ensemble.”While Eastwoodhasapointthe theorypointstoa directsource of
a visionandleader.Yes,Fellini wrotehisscreenplayswithother writers, andhe has
cinematographersandacomposer,buthe wouldoftenworkwith the same people multiple times.
His composer,NinoRota,composedall of Fellini’sfilms’musicuntil the dayhe died. He has
establishedabondwiththese people.
HavingextensivelyresearchedFellini,myinspiration hascontinued togrow. Eversince watchinghis
masterpiece 8½(1963) inJanuary2020, my firstexposure toaFellini film.Thenmarathoninga
portionof hisfilmographyonthe FeastonFellini season,celebratinghis100th
birthday,inApril of
the same year.My love andaffinity forhisstyle isatrulyrapturous experience.I’ve beeninfluenced
and inspiredbyhimeversince ourfirst encounter.Inthe filmsI’vemade afterIfell inlove with
Fellini’sstyleergoneorealismandsurrealism,I’ve channelledthisby implementingsurrealdream-
like moments intomyfilms,nothingtoobizarre andIwant to stayaway fromtryingto mimichis
style. Formy FMP,I plan to explore acharacter'sstate of mindandfollow themona turbulentpart
of theirlife,throughasurrealisticlens.Theyare sufferingfrominsomniatherefore,theirabilityto
dreamhas beenfractured,althoughwithinsomniawhenyoudodream, theyare incrediblyvivid. I
will create amoody,surreal,thrillingnightmare as he retreatsintohisdreams.The line between
realityandfantasybecomesindistinguishable asthe eventsunfold. The filmwillalmostfunctionlike
a dream,slippingfromone locationtothe next,the structure will be non-linear.Toonce againquote
Fellini “Imake afilminthe same mannerinwhichI live a dream...”
FedericoFelliniis anultimate auteurfilmmaker.Hisartisticstylisticevolutioncanbe seenacrosshis
career,particularlyin La Dolce Vita (1960) whichI have spokenaboutindetail. Hisfilmsalwayshave
a beautiful poeticedge,hisimageryprogressed tobeingmore abstract. Ihave beenable toindulge
myself inFellini’spersonal life,discoveringfactsfromhischildhoodthatcanbe seen inhisfilms.
Otherevents,tragicor true, were alsoof interest.Hisbodyof workhas develpoedintohisown
world, withFellini’sname appearinginthe title. Thisevolutionof hisworkasMartin Scorsese callsit
“the journeyof one artistusingfilmandcinemaas histool” La Dolce Vita (1960) is thatturning
point,a mainindentifyable shift,hisfilmswere neverthe same again,new and bold.

5. Bibliography
23 Notable FedericoFelliniQuotesThatWill Make YourDay -
https://quotes.thefamouspeople.com/federico-fellini-4774.php
A,Lattuada & F,Fellini (1950) Variety Lights
Bondanella, The Cinema of Federico Fellini, p.327.
C, Tóibín (anon) Essential Fellini Essays – Imagined Homes p.57 - p.74
F, Fellini (1963) 8½
F, Fellini (1969) Fellini Satyricon
F, Fellini(1953) I Vitelloni
F, Fellini(1960) La Dolce Vita
F, Fellini(1954) La Strada
F, Fellini(1957) Nightsof Cabiria
F, Fellini(1990) Voice of the Moon
F, Fellini(1952) The WhiteSheik
Indie Film Hustle. (2021). What is Auteur Theory? – Definition and Examples.
J, Chaillet (2020) Fellini onFellini
Martin Scorsese interview on Federico Fellini (1993) -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=72qA9X0CQIA&t=804s
R, Dyer (2017) BFI Film Classics – La Dolce Vita
Shanahan, A. (2002). Fellini, Federico. Available:
https://www.sensesofcinema.com/2002/great-directors/fellini/ #2
Stern,J (2014).TheFilmmakerSaysQuotes,Quips,and Words of Wisdom.anon:Princeton Architectural Press.159.
Truffaut, F. (1954). A CertainTendencyof French Cinema. Cahiers du Cinema. 31 (anon), anon.
Truffaut on the Auteur Theory - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9B3ujgoLHjg