A Slice Of Life. Review on Amarcord Movie

Amarcord takes us back to the small Italian town of director Fellini’s birth and young manhood, and gives us a joyful portrait of nostalgic fragments of life. Set in the fictional town of Battipaglia during the 30’s, this film focuses on simple, but complex story about life that needs to be seen fully to understand and enjoy.

The story unfolds as the townsfolk rejoice the arrival of spring in the piazza by building a ceremonial bonfire and burn the ‘witch of winter.’ However, the central character of the movie is the town itself, as it interweaves a bunch of colourful characters, exploring their warm, witty, and fuming lives. Titta, (Bruno Zanin) is a typical teenager who hangs around with his group of friends that spend their time ogling beautiful women and pulling pranks in and out of school.

Gradisca, (Magali Noel) who runs a beauty parlour in the town is the ‘woman of dreams’ for the men, as they desperately try to ground her with their flamboyant efforts. Titta’s father, Aurelio Biondi (Armando Brancia) is a building manager who occurs to run his family with authority, but only ends up in idiocy. Miranda Biondi, (Pupella Maggio) Titta’s mother, is a frustrated woman who’s prepared to exile herself due to her husband’s stupidity in and out of the house. The Lawyer, (Luigi Rossi) performs the monolog act, presenting stories with his immaculate knowledge on the history of the town and its people.

The hilarious montage of student’s in classes gives us a peep inside their education and eccentric teachers, which will truly make your guts, laugh out. The film also spotlights subtle portrayal of fascist Italy in the early 1930s. The arrival of a provincial fascist leads to a bizarre public ritual in the public square. Aurelio, who believes in communism, plays the ‘Internationale’ protesting the visit of the fascist leader, and his act proves no less than foolish.

Federico Fellini denied that the movie was autobiographical, but agreed there are segments of his childhood reminiscence. Nominated for 3 Oscars, the film won its deserving golden statue for ‘Best Foreign Language Film.’ To sum it up in simple words, Fellini has sculptured a striking work of art that is as witty as it is exciting.

This is truly a movie for everybody who relish life and its inumerable mysteries and magic, which forms the very nucleus of life itself.....