Good evening.
- You here already? - Go home to bed.
Aha! The chief!
Here the Cavalier comes
Here she is!
It's arriving.
Bring the arc closer.
More.
Federico! They're here.
Good evening.
Excuse us, please, Signor Fellini.
We know our appointment for the interview is tomorrow morning,
but a little birdie told us you're here tonight.
Are you the birdie?
Oh, Federico! I knew he'd say that!
He's right.
Come on! Easy, my boys!
Give, give.
- Is he coming? - Aren't you coming up?
I can imagine it from here.
When you see the studio roofs, stop.
What did I tell you?
The megaphone! They can't hear us up there.
Romano,
light the mini-arcs.
Turn them on me.
Romano, go up as we go.
Aim the jumbo at the pines.
Fiammetta, Daniela, you can't stay there.
Roberto, go to your booth.
We need to go over those pines.
Can you see Stage 5? Can you see the roof?
Maurizio, answer me!
We mounted lights on that other crane
to create a general effect of moonlight.
We have to go higher to see the roofs!
May we ask what film you're making?
A film that opens with the standard dream
of someone flying.
You must dream the same dream in Japan.
Tonino, zoom slowly,
as if you were gliding over the stages.
There's Stage 5!
It's beautiful from up here.
We see the Roman aqueduct!
The whole area!
But everything's shaking!
We need more smoke up there.
The megaphone's gone. The batteries...
This dream led me into a dark place,
disturbing, but somehow familiar.
I moved slowly
in that deep gloom.
I touched a wall
that seemed endless.
In other films, in a dream like this,
I'd fly away, but this time,
being older, heavier, I had trouble getting off the ground.
I finally managed,
and I was hovering high in the sky.
But that view I glimpsed through gaps in the clouds...
What was it?
The University? The Municipal Hospital?
It looked like a prison, an atomic shelter.
At last I recognized it... Cinecittá.
Maybe I had this dream because
I knew I'd be meeting you.
By the way, if traffic or something delays me,
start all the same.
Interview my assistant.
He knows more than I do.
An assistant director's essential tools:
Whistle...
and megaphone.
Nowadays it's a lost art.
Assistants all become directors.
Remaining an assistant is really heroic,
something against nature.
A man who decides to stay an adolescent forever,
refusing to grow up...
there are the psychological problems
of a high-risk profession!
And when it's Fellini you're working for...
Maurizio, he's coming!
Excuse me for a second.
Hi, Piero, Everything's fine.
The Japanese want to ask you a few questions.
Clear out, Rivet!
He called me! He wants me!
Had any more dreams?
When? How are you, everything okay?
Where did she go?
Now the first question is:
What does Cinecittá mean to you?
Is it just a studio, or is it more?
And if it's more, how is it more?
How is it more? Frankly l...
I saw you! Stay where you are, Rivet.
Did you hear that?
Shall I pick out some of these for a test?
Wait a minute!
I found the ideal ones this time: Giancorso,
Alfredo, Antoine.
And a surprise. I bet you can't...
He's a girl.
How did you...
- What's your name? - Sophie.
French?
Did you make that? For your film?
- No, no. It must be a commercial. - Lovely.
"Try lmperial! Click, click, click! It does the trick!"
Look! A Rolls-Royce rickshaw.
Where do I put the gas, chief?
One... two... three...
Fire!
It's a comfort for me to know Cinecittá exists.
It's a fortress, or perhaps an alibi. Yes, an alibi!
Nadia!
She can talk to you more knowledgeably than I can.
Morning.
These reporters from Japanese TV
want an interview.
Of me?
Introduce her as a vestal of the city of Cinema.
She's in charge
of the film archive where Cinecittá
preserves its memories.
Will you talk with them?
I'm busy. I have to have my cappuccino.
I'm already late.
That's being busy?
When do we start, chief?
Soon! We'll start soon!
Let's work like Nadia... having coffee.
Nobody's noticed me. How do I look?
Rivet has to stick with him.
You can't just leave him on his own.
He needs protection, comforting, care.
If this guy gets sick, we all starve.
Everything is done from scratch
and you feel like God.
If you guys don't give me any gas coupons,
I won't show up anymore.
Nadia, Nadia, what are you doing?
Where are you going?
The office. My boss wants me.
Nuns! On the set!
Move it!
Turn and yell, "Nadia! When am I invited to dinner?"
Excuse us, you going to the archives?
No, I'm picking up chicory.
You have chicory in Japan?
Fellini shoots all his films at Cinecittá.
Any of his sets still standing?
No, he takes them home as souvenirs.
Where's the famous pool used in "Ben Hur"?
It used to be over there, where they shot
"Ben Hur," "Quo Vadis," the naval battle in "Cleopatra."
All those apartment houses are surrounding us.
They build them overnight. They'll overrun us pretty soon.
This is chicory!
What do you do with it?
Oh, sautéed with garlic and red pepper, it's to die for!
My grandma used to say that the chicory tea...
He says it's bitter.
That's what makes it good... a nice kind of bitter.
Like the Romans... they act tough, but they're sweethearts.
How about going into business, exporting chicory to Japan?
I have to go now, sorry.
Thanks a lot.
Have a good day at work.
Signor Fellini, when was the first time you came to Cinecittá?
Oh, many years ago, in 1940.
During the war. I worked for a magazine.
They sent me to interview a famous actress.
We had to catch the blue tram in front
of a kind of bathhouse, the "Casa del Passeggero."
Are you getting the sign?
A full shot from here!
Want the windows?
Hello, Gino? This is Maurizio. The place is disappointing.
The building's condemned, it's changed owners.
Arabs, I think. What do we do?
Yes, Fellini's here.
Leave it then.
Box lunches, my ass! Get over here! Fast!
Heard from Peter?
Behind the communist paper you'll find Peter,
the legendary Notarianni,
old friend and executive producer.
300 films under his belt. He dates back to the Lumiéres.
Even earlier.
The Japanese ask how producers and I feel about each other.
I said total, reciprocal mistrust.
These won't hold up. Everything's rotted.
Notarianni!
The lights have to go on the turrets.
We'll need a lot. Tell Millozza.
There's never enough light here.
Tonino, these trusses won't hold.
Like I said, we need turrets.
Hey, Maestro,
remember that great pizzeria where we used to eat?
You hear the echo?
Christian, take some shots inside the cars.
Done?
Get me some full shots from over there.
The Cinecittá tram! I must've taken it a million times.
When did you first go to Cinecittá, Tonino?
In '38.
Yeah, on a horse cart!
Smartass. I'll kick you out.
Terzano and I came on our bikes. Remember him?
Tonino, I'm 20 years younger than you.
Here they are!
Look at them! You'd think it was a hold up.
Who's that with Maurizio?
I saw this lady at the station.
You might test her for "Brunelda."
Forgive us, Signora.
You must have thought you were being kidnapped.
Take some photos of her.
Maurizio, Brunelda is a blonde!
Are we shooting here, chief?
Yes, we're shooting here.
Like we couldn't pick any other place.
I think with some wings and a marquee
and a couple of drops,
we can reconstruct the Casa del Passeggero here.
Get your ass over here, now!
Right there, where the road begins.
Fix it now!
The platform is crooked.
Pull the cable!
Just wait and see, Sergio.
In no time, you'll feel right at home.
Excuse us, we follow each step.
Of course. Should I look into the camera?
Who are you in this film?
Some nice, little character.
Didn't anyone tell you?
I think you should just be yourself.
No, not in here! Translate, please.
They're working here. You can interview them later.
Is our Olga taking care of you? Keeping you happy?
He wants to know who he is.
I'll explain it all.
You are a journalist, a young reporter.
Your paper sends you to interview a star actress at Cinecittá.
Turn that thing off!
How can you work in this racket?
So, this reporter is all excited.
It's his first visit to Cinecittá
to interview this sexy woman he's dreamed about.
Massimo, is that pimple ready?
I want him to have a little bump on his nose.
He couldn't leave the kid alone.
That's enough, Olga.
He was too cute.
It looks like you care too much.
He is cute!
It's not a whim. I'm not just being mean.
You see, a reporter who interviews
a great beauty while he has a pimple,
will feel embarrassed, mortified,
and that's how I want the character to feel.
It'll help you as an actor. That's why I did it.
Come on! Come on!
There! Stop beside the other truck!
Sergio, Antonella, come on!
Follow me, please!
Are we going to shoot the movie in Brazil?
Line up, side by side.
Just like that, thank you.
You are going to lead the procession later.
Follow me.
Fellini...
What's going on?
That actor who was coming up from Naples... he hasn't come.
The one who was to play the big fascist.
The fat guy!
Now you tell me, five minutes before we shoot.
And now what?
Caló, Fabiana, Caló, Vittorio... here they are.
What do I do now?
Having to foresee everything is no fun.
I agree with Fellini.
On a film, the fun is foreseeing
the unforeseeable and getting screwed anyway.
No worries. The makeup guy is with us.
Get those water cases!
Wait, let me on first. I know where they sit.
Maestro, your shirt.
Here's the plan: Leave three places free here.
The girls back with their parents. Everybody here?
The fascist is missing!
Federico, I can't walk in these boots.
You're perfect! Thank God that actor couldn't come.
I stuffed them with cotton.
The shame of it! And the torture as well, free of charge.
Unbelievable. You look so perfect.
He's all bald, like his comrades!
That's your seat, by the window.
Where's my seat?
It's all unbuttoned. It's not nice.
Where's my megaphone?
Thank you.
Take away the steps.
Are the policemen ready? You, ready to leave!
Turn it around!
Let's go!
Damn, I was supposed to make a call.
Gino, call the lawyer...
No, I'll call later. Let's go!
I'm proud of this line.
We built it in record time.
Are you an actor?
Yes, you're an actor!
An actor?
Esmeralda, come here!
You want a good slap?
An actor, are you?
- No, a journalist, I guess. - Bravo.
A profession of great responsibility,
as you are aware.
Yes, of course.
I also began as a reporter.
And, as you well know, so did He.
Yes.
These voices express the same joy
of those workers who made this land fertile
in the days of Julius Caesar.
To us!
Hurrah for the beautiful workers of the vineyard!
Companion, with fascist ardor...
Thank you, beautiful people from the farms of Italy.
We offer the golden fruit of our vineyards.
How beautiful.
Has it been washed?
So sweet!
Thank you!
Companions,
I would like to join you...
Let me kiss you!
And one from my mother!
In your joyous toil.
But duty calls me.
Long live Italy!
Not again! It's deliberate!
I told them to keep him tied!
Now where do I find the farmer?
Move, will you?
Who'll lend me a hand?
Every morning it's the same disaster.
Something, isn't it?
Beautiful.
Niagara! Niagara! I tell you, young man,
Italy has nothing to envy anyone.
Not even waterfalls.
Look! Indians!
A brave race, but treacherous.
I wonder why they don't exterminate those tribes.
Maybe they're saving some specimens for their films.
Do you know Abyssinia?
No.
Magnificent land, our empire! Go there!
Anyway, since we've sighted elephants,
we must be at Cinecittá.
I wouldn't want to swear
the trip to Cinecittá was exactly like that.
Maybe it was even more adventurous, I don't remember.
We're there!
My name's Antonella.
Maybe we'll make this trip together again.
Please meet my fiancé.
Nice to meet you.
This is a very important day for me.
I'm having a screen test, and I'm scared.
I wonder how it'll go.
Wish me luck?
- Yes, indeed! - Good-bye.
Then that pretty blonde girl
disappeared from my life.
Ciao! Good luck!
Ah, I was forgetting, the big fascist who shot with us
was met by a magnificent limousine.
And I remember
I followed the elephants
when I first entered Cinecittá.
Hey, you! Just a minute!
I have to interview somebody.
Interview? And your name?
My editor called. Rubini's the name.
Rubini. I'll check.
See if we've got a Rubini.
He's here.
Go ahead.
Thank you.
Hey! What am I supposed to do? Push?
Let's go!
Start the procession.
The bride!
Okay, let's have the petals.
The petals!
More, more! Higher!
Keep your distance!
Slower, you... Go!
That's it... Who's that kid?
What's he doing? Get down!
Down!
Lower!
Higher in the air!
Like a whirl! The fan!
Stop!
Cut! Cut!
Back in place! Another take.
Tell him you can't run.
Where's the bride? Get the bride ready!
Music! Music!
Pick up the beat!
"Rolf!" Shout, "Rolf!"
Stop!
Help me down.
Be careful, Maestro.
- Help him. - Slow.
He doesn't need help, he's spry as a cricket.
I'm holding you, Maestro, don't worry.
His shoes.
Get his shoes, hurry!
Maybe some confetti stuck to the lens.
We'll see it in the rushes.
Print it?
Would you like mineral water, a beer?
A pear.
There's only an apple... A peach?
A nice, juicy peach?
A pear.
A plum?
A pear.
A pear! A pear!
A pear! He wants a pear!
Was I all right, Maestro? Are you satisfied?
The tear in my eye? Could you see it?
Not bad.
Where's the groom?
Be quiet! Nuisance!
You know, he's a little nervous.
You're running towards love, happiness.
This way.
Follow me. Come, come!
- Come on, don't worry. - You're running towards love.
You were wonderful.
- Who's that? - Nobody.
Smile, smile.
Smile.
Helga!
Go on, the hug.
No! More enthusiasm! Watch me.
Let's have the petals! Action!
Hold it! Lunch!
Stop!
Hey, Nico, shall I take a plate for you, too?
I'm going by the fountain.
Thanks, bring it here, in the sunshine.
Pericle, can you get me one of those?
White!
Hey, kid, get me a lunch for the lady.
What lady?
Katia.
Of course. Right away.
You're always late.
You show up at 12:34 rather than 12:30.
Thank you. You're so nice.
Katia Venis?
That's right. She's better today. She wants to work.
I'm here to interview her.
Does she know?
I'll show you the way.
Had a little argument with the wife?
Can I ask you a few questions, too?
What's in her lunch box?
She never opens it. I get it for my sister-in-law.
Do you work with Katia?
I'm wardrobe...
Didn't you do something else?
She sent me away and then called me back.
She's all right, but with him she acts like an empress.
And for all his boots and plumes,
he toes the line with her.
Mind you, I haven't said a word.
Don't worry.
They're working on a super-colossal production.
Can I look inside?
Hey, Cesare.
What is it?
Why don't you go fuck yourself?
For that pimple, try bread soaked in milk.
It'll go away overnight.
Hey, Cesare, I was thinking.
What?
Why don't you go fuck yourself?
Say, kid, I've got to get going.
Hey, Cesare.
You know who I ran into? Old Snotty.
- You know what he said? - No.
He said you have to go fu...
I just gulped a beer and I feel sick.
So she says to me, she says, "Well?"
"Well what?" I say. Some manners.
I just got some fruit for you.
- Any tangerines? - No tangerines.
Give me some deli instead.
You going for the eggs? I'll come too.
There's this peasant who's in love with her.
He sends her fresh eggs. She takes them raw.
It's still warm! Here's her egg.
I like the Signora... a lot.
Hear that?
Bring her over one day!
- Who is it? - It's me, with lunch.
Come in.
- Rivet, the film's set in the '40s. - Do I fit?
- No, you don't. - When will I?
When we get to the '80s.
- When is that? - I don't know.
Shall we send a copy to Villa Medici?
These are the two kids from the Conservatory.
Have you read Kafka's "Amerika"?
If all goes well you'll have to read it.
Thanks... and good luck!
This way. I'll check your size.
So we've seen our young reporter enter the trailer
and there, all by himself,
he's waiting to meet the star who seems to excite him so much.
Rubini, you hear me?
I hear you!
Everything's fine, but I'm not alone here.
Then what does the Indian woman do?
This is another one.
Here it says, "When the 'lingam' is made to rotate inside,
it's called 'zangolating'."
I love to zangolate!
"When the 'lingam'..."
Ah, you weren't here. You missed the lesson.
In the "Kama Sutra," our friend here is called 'lingam'
and the other thing's called...
The 'yoni'.
So when the lingam, introduced into the yoni,
starts moving in and out, in and out,
without interruption
and without extraction...
What do we have?
"The sparrow's flutter!"
Charming image!
Who's that? Who have you let in here?
Signora, it's that reporter.
And in front of a stranger,
a reporter, you talk that filth.
But it's a holy book.
Eroticism on a religious plane.
Freezing one minute, boiling the next! Can't they fix it?
It's torture!
I told production, but they just act dumb.
I heard a story about you!
Well, spread it around.
"Cinema Magazine," I never miss an issue.
I sent two poems, but you didn't publish them.
Good morning, Signora.
Isn't the heat killing you?
My egg!
A pin!
Want to try it?
This is my meal.
I don't believe in interviews.
Does Garbo ever grant interviews?
Hm, the sweetie.
But we have to help a beginner, don't we?
Or, as the saying goes, they never get past
the "Dear Sir or Madam" stage.
One condition, though... my secretary is present.
She's heard me so often with you reporters,
so if I can't think of the right answer,
she'll remember it, and she tells me.
Why, he's just a kid, our reporter.
I thought I might begin the piece, imagining you in the shower,
glimpsed through the steam,
like Tiepolo's Venus.
Do you know Tiepolo?
I doubt one can know everybody!
That's for sure.
Do you believe in dreams?
I had one last night. I'm ashamed to tell.
You said you don't like interviews. I understand.
Because I, myself, feel uncomfortable asking you questions.
But there's one I want to ask.
How can a person be so beautiful?
Believe me, I'm dazzled.
Beautiful? Some of you writers disagree.
One critic wrote that I seem a man. Maybe wishful thinking.
My grandmother was beautiful!
I don't have her photo, but she was the image of me.
For a movie actress, beauty is less important than talent.
Naturally, if she has both,
so much the better!
How did you discover your vocation?
When did you first think of being an actress?
Even as a child, people said
I was pretty, like a little angel.
In religious processions she was always the cherub.
I can imagine.
But without talent, it's hopeless.
I can imagine all the men who'd give anything to be here, in my place.
Oh, really?
Oh, yes.
You've got to realize one thing.
The whole secret is in the eyes.
True! A girl can have the greatest 'yoni' in the world...
Pardon, my dear... but if her eyes aren't made up properly, she's had it!
Write that!
When you see an actress in close-up...
Eyes shut.
The lids...
Close. Eyes shut.
A close-up that fills the screen...
Raise them!
Her eyes just swallow you up!
Write that!
And write that I'm here at 5:00 AM.
Her too, for the sake of art.
That's a very hard life.
Excuse me, one last question.
When you're not acting, what do you do?
An actress lives in her roles.
She's imprisoned.
Never free?
That depends...
On her latest 'lingam'.
The costume's here.
Ah, the Maharani costume!
Everybody out now!
The Signora has to dress. Out!
That means everybody. You too.
Take a nice walk.
Just a minute.
The Signora reads all interviews before publication.
Remember, quote only what I said.
Word for word.
Young man... Hey, young man!
You mean me?
Come here.
This thief here tells me you're a reporter.
Had a good look around?
You know what this circus is costing me?
Like four apartment houses.
The rent alone would have brought in a fortune.
But making movies is a lot more fun.
But we've already cut 50% off the budget!
Have you ever seen a thief's face
to equal this thief I have as production manager?
Don't say such things.
But I admire you!
A thief who looks like a thief
is being honest.
That guy makes me die laughing.
Look at the dumb face on him.
The director says he's stupid.
I think he's good.
You shit!
Who do you think you are?
You've kept us waiting for three whole hours!
Listen to the cheap, little hick.
Give me that mirror, I can't see myself.
You and your rich shit friend.
- He means me. - No, that isn't you, chief.
Did you hear all the shit in the air?
Plenty for everybody, even you, an outsider.
Poor Italy!
A tough life.
But here in Rome everybody's a shit.
Incredible!
We're more polite in Milan.
Look...
you needn't write about these outbursts, eh?
We know about artistic temperament, of course.
But this one goes too far.
Enjoy your lunch, Pierone!
Want some?
No, but have a drink for me.
Nice site, eh?
Do you think it's the same in India?
He thinks he's a Maharaja, but he's from Campobasso.
But when he sings, he'll give you goose bumps.
Smile!
Dip! Heel!
Dip! Keep in time!
Get that salad bowl on her head!
Remember your lines, sweetheart?
I know your silly lines.
But what he doesn't know is, he's finished playing God.
One word from me, and he'll be sent to the border.
You know why he yells all the time? He's in love.
How could you miss that? Head over heels!
How disgusting, that faggot dwarf!
Crazy about you, like everybody.
Okay, concubine, start singing. Sing!
Now let those two dopes kiss your hand.
Then say your line to the Maharaja.
Does the Maharaja know what to do?
You're insulting me!
Listen!
My sweet Mara.
Some manners! Some noblemen!
And those officers! It's an outrage!
Indecent!
The more he yells, the less he works. And tomorrow we'll still be here.
Bring on the dancing girls! Graceful!
Katia, you're on.
Into the water!
And say your line!
"I bow to the glory of the Maharaja, splendor of Dergalesh.
"Please accept with favor,
my loyal, ardent devotion."
And now, Katia the beautiful goes up to the canopy
and enters, bowing low.
They'll see my behind.
It won't be the first time!
With the movements of a tigress...
slow, soft
and swaying.
Sway! Wiggle those hips!
Why go up a stair otherwise?
What's wrong? Now what is it?
Go see what that bitch wants!
What's going on?
She doesn't feel well.
She needs to go to bed earlier!
It's ruining her makeup.
Call the makeup artist!
Aurelio, go take a look.
When I say "trunks," up they go.
Ready? Trunks!
What's with that trunk?
I knew it! I knew it!
Get me down!
Down! I want to get down!
There! Are you satisfied?
We'll end up like a bunch of dumb shits!
And it's your fault!
Your cheapskate production!
Out of my way!
You promised me real elephants!
The circus is in Sicily. You know what they asked?
Pay them!
Or go back to laying brick... your true calling!
Stop or I'll have you arrested!
Criminal!
You bum! You're making a mistake!
I signed a contract with you!
That was my mistake!
I've had it!
Out, everybody! I quit!
The film is finished.
No, you're finished. I'll ruin you!
Take it easy.
Stuff your coffee!
I swear he'll never work again.
Never, never, never, never!
It would be a blessing never to work with your kind.
You're what's ruining cinema.
I'm going to Germany.
No, to the loony bin!
I've had enough of you!
- Excuse me. - What?
I appreciate the temperament, but you forgot something.
What?
You were supposed to knock over the first elephant, not the third.
We have to redo it.
This was the elephant to knock over.
The idea was to have it fall right into the camera.
Ah... where've you been hiding?
We want to know one thing about your films.
Where do you find all the strange faces?
What are you doing?
Need a face like mine?
To hell with him! Who cares?
And your mother?
My mother? She never could stand him.
Signorina.
Excuse me.
May we take your picture?
But why?
You have such a beautiful face. Striking!
Wouldn't you like an unusual experience making a movie?
I'm Maurizio Mein, Fellini's assistant.
We need faces for the characters of Kafka's "Amerika."
To make it into a film. Great idea, isn't it?
You see Elvis? Looks like he has a toothache.
What's your guess on Sampdoria vs. Atalanta?
Me, too.
Come on, ladies.
Follow me.
This way.
Did you know they don't pay you for tests?
No, not tests.
And I get up at 5:00 AM to enjoy the fresh air?
Hello, it's Maurizio.
I'll be there with eight women.
I'll send them to wardrobe.
Ladies, there! Wardrobe.
You go ahead, I'll check the sets.
That way!
I was here before, but nothing happened.
Where to? Over there?
I worked as a taster.
A taste here, a taste there... I put on 80 pounds.
- Signor Donati. - I'm busy.
Fine as silk.
Come in.
I'm late, I've got to get a new license.
Besides, the part calls for a blonde.
"Shall I raise the curtain?"
Repeat the line, Stefano, and get up.
Massimo, you move to the other side.
- Tonino! - What?
Are you shooting?
Brunelda eats, sleeps, and keeps making love.
Yes, I see, she's a man-eater.
Excuse me...
Here it says Brunelda gets bathed.
Her lover gives her a bath, like a baby.
No, no. I don't do nude scenes.
I admire Signor Fellini and all, but I've never done it,
and not because I couldn't.
It's a nice part... beautiful, but...
Is Maurizio Mein here? Hello.
You know what a window costs?
Scratch four.
It's no big savings.
A frightening expression aggressive and fierce,
but also sweet.
You have to be like an animal... bestial.
Oh, yes, the quivering nostril.
That's basic.
It solves everything.
Hello.
Yes, I'm listening...
Stage 2, construction.
What communiqué?
Gino, you better take this.
I'll pass you to the head organizer.
Who's speaking?
Who is this?
It's of no importance?
Who said that?
Hung up.
Excuse me, everybody. Would you mind leaving?
I forgot I had an appointment here.
Outside, please.
You two also. Thanks.
The accountants are coming.
That's just what we need.
Thanks, Antonello, take them to the bar.
It's on us.
A miracle.
Fifteen minute break.
Not a word to anybody, understand?
- Understood. - I bet.
This woman's face will be plastered all over.
We just got a terrible call. It's me, Maurizio.
They've planted a bomb in Stage 2. Give the alarm.
Gino says not to, but I don't agree.
Start calling...
Maurizio, let's go to the bar.
Some chamomile tea will do you good.
Let's keep it closed.
Right, close it.
You know, I think...
The police are coming.
Gino, we should alert the studio management.
- It's a hoax. - What if it isn't?
Get those people out...
at the end of the street.
Who took the call?
Signor Gino Millozza.
Is this Stage 2?
I got everybody out.
Cordon off the area! Everybody back!
Check the people at the bar.
You took the call here?
Yes, where the art directors work.
Please close the door.
Did the voice speak Italian?
Mr. Gino took the call, not me.
Any sort of foreign accent?
Italian.
Did you hear coins drop?
You think they called from a public phone?
I don't think so.
Is this the first time you've had threatening calls?
No, it happens often, specially to Gino.
But never involving bombs.
Will somebody take me to the main office?
- Yes, I'll take you. - Thank you.
You check the hall and the upper floor.
They searched everywhere,
but didn't find anything.
I felt sort of let down,
disappointed.
We went on working up in the production offices.
So 40 years in the theater count for nothing.
Faces, of course,
they're needed.
But you consider 40 years on the stage
a waste of time?
A shortcoming?
Professionalism has become a fault?
The director may be talented, but actors...
real actors... are what moviemaking is all about.
We're looking for some very specific types.
Ah, llaria. It's the third time she's come.
Fellini wanted to see her again.
We couldn't do without...
Let me work, will you?
I've got to see the chief.
You won't let me see him because you know he wants me around.
"Rivet, you stick close to me."
For a coffee, a glass of water, a cigarette.
He doesn't smoke!
Poor guy.
They've all ditched him!
Ceccacci, will you get Rivet off my back?
Why is my test wrong? My accent?
I play a foreigner, you said.
These things happen with films.
Fellini felt the part was better suited to someone else.
For this job they renewed my visa.
Good, you can stay in Rome, the world's loveliest city,
and we'll find something for you.
All the films Signor Fellini's made,
and I've never worked in one.
Me neither.
Though as an actor, I grow constantly.
Once he called me to play a corpse.
Maurizio, this lovely boy's a stage actor.
Should I show him to Fellini?
Conservatory, public library, Vatican, Polish Embassy, Hungarian...
I've been all over.
If I haven't found what he wants, then I don't know what it is.
Is the director here?
I came because everyone says I'm the Fellini type.
And so?
The fact is, I've always had this natural tendency.
As a kid, at funerals,
I cried more than anybody else.
Even now, I can cry any time.
You want to see tears?
We're looking for certain characters right now.
I've also got a brother.
He's better than this bunch.
He also cried at funerals?
No, he'd get up in woman's clothes and make us laugh.
Our whole family's special. You can choose.
We're back.
With photos and the address?
He's got them.
I snapped it myself.
There must be 200 people here.
It was a grand wedding. People came even from Ancona.
He's with his uncle... the one who's waving.
Can't use it.
It was a great reception.
I'm sure. And you?
You wanted fat people, so I came.
But we need fat women, not...
Well, find something for me.
I'm here, we've met, now it's up to you.
What's up to us?
To do right by him. Unfortunately...
I brought him here, too.
Hello?
This is a terrible day for phone calls.
You're an actress, Signora?
No, she's a widow.
For three years!
I'm sorry, I don't see what we can...
They've agreed! What now?
That way we create the atmosphere of an American street.
- It'll still cost a fortune. - And you want to shoot at dusk.
It's part of the effect.
How about a nice, gray day, and to hell with dusk?
And to hell with the construction costs, too?
That hurts even more.
Not even Hollywood has costumes like these.
And I can reproduce them.
Genuine, but with imagination.
You know what?
We'll use big blowups, life-size.
We can pick some of the little ones as well.
We have to know if the lady's got the part,
to work out a schedule.
- She's been waiting for a week. - You have to go out there.
- Who's there? - It's me, Fellini.
- What? - We're taking everybody's picture.
I'm here.
What for? Get out of here, Rivet!
Come on, Rivet! Beat it!
By the way, I saw Marcello.
Tell me.
He's here shooting.
He'll drop in as soon as he can.
What is it?
What's going on?
Hi there, boys!
The usual headaches?
Run out of money?
Worse still? Sexual problems? Forget your woes!
Mandrake's here!
Two taps of his stick and up comes your dick!
Hurray!
Let's go check it out!
Marcello, I have something to tell you.
Later, later.
I'll see you downstairs.
Rub, rub, rub away dirtl
You look great.
A commercial!
- They've stopped asking me... - Did you meet Sergio?
The young Fellini? Couldn't I have played him for you?
Excuse me. Is she one of your girlfriends?
- She's one of them. - Which one?
He says you play sax very well.
I've an idea for the finale. I'll tell you later.
It's real luck, finding you. I wanted to ask you...
Come with me a minute.
Do you really play that thing?
A musician?
Sort of.
Gino, I'm going out there!
- Marcello's coming with me. - Come along.
Bye, Antonella. Remind me, eh?
What's this tree for?
A floral tribute.
Please, Marcello, that cigarette...
I forgot.
I can't breathe. Open the window.
I can't breathe if I'm not smoking.
Signor Mastroianni,
Hideo says he'll stop you smoking in 15 minutes.
It's taken me 40 years to achieve three packs a day,
and you want to ruin everything.
Toshiro Mifune, the actor, was a big smoker.
Hideo touches his nose, he stops.
He hates smoke now.
You get convulsions like the Maestro if I smoke?
No, but I don't like smoking...
or drinking.
But how about women?
Oh, yes, a lot, but...
But? But what?
Frankly, what I like best is jerking off.
An exercise in concentration that stimulates fantasy
and I'd say it develops a novelist's turn of mind.
My experiences, for example...
were like installment novels.
Always new characters, who introduced other new ones.
"Meet my sister. This is my cousin..."
Where are we going?
We're almost there.
Pietro, is this the right road?
Maestro...
I'm confused too, it's not like I live around here.
Ask this priest.
Excuse me, Father. Villa Pandora?
You're on the wrong road.
Where should we go?
Is that Mastroianni?
This way. I'll lead you.
We're almost there.
That's it. Good-bye.
The chief's here!
Federico, didn't you tell her?
She says she's not expecting anyone.
The production called her.
Damn those animals! Listen to them.
- Is Marcello all right? - Did you tell her it's me?
Let me try.
I'll untie the dogs and call the police.
Anita, it's Federico.
I've brought some friends. Can't you open up?
Federico? What are you doing here? Liar!
You said for Christmas in 1981 you'd come see me.
Now I won't open, darling!
Anita, open, I have a surprise for you.
They're waiting for me at Cinecittá.
I'm here to see Anita. I should have told you.
- Anita Ekberg? - Yes.
I haven't seen her since "La Dolce Vita."
Watch out for the dogs, they're fierce.
Stay in the car. I'm opening.
Brace yourselves. She's opening the gate.
She says to stay in the car.
These are lions.
You get out.
Ya-ya, come.
Pandora, Tonga, come here.
Get into the house.
There she is.
I'm all excited!
What does she need dogs for?
She's stupendous, like a gladiator.
Federico, then it's true.
It is you!
What a triumphant vision!
Are you coming, or what?
Don't worry, I'm here.
My beauty, how are you?
Come, let me hug you.
Who's this?
Sergio Rubini, a young actor.
Since he was 12,
he's been dreaming of being embraced by Anita Ekberg.
Anita, thank you!
Sergio, that's enough!
Who else is in there?
Guess.
What a beautiful surprise!
Another big liar!
You're right about that.
Marcello, you are still so handsome.
Keep kissing her.
May I? Thank you.
Just a minute. Where are the scars?
What scars?
Then they lied to me.
I heard you had a minimum of three face-lifts.
No, not yet. Still too soon.
Maybe when I'm 80.
You're nearly there, my love.
Can you two hug again? Please...
Friends,
all I can offer you is some good wine and roasted chestnuts.
- Shall we go? - Yes, yes.
The lady is inviting us.
- Let's go! - Okay, let's go.
Signor Maestro, you like my country place?
We should come every weekend.
When it's clear you can see the whole ocean.
We all talk about living in the country, but...
May I use the phone?
Please, come in.
In Japan, there are no women like that.
- Sit wherever you like. - Ah, the fireplace is on.
But no seeds on the floor.
Make yourselves at home.
Good for you, Giovanna, pass the chestnuts.
Giovanna's my great friend, you know?
Marcello, come over here.
You get to work too. Open some bottles.
- Very nice here... - What?
- She's still a beautiful woman. - Beautiful.
She's mythic!
These are broiled perfectly.
Ah, chestnuts.
Do they still make chestnut flour?
I dreamed of you, Mastroianni.
I'm from your home town.
- Where were you born? - Ferentino.
But this wine is light, almost pediatric.
Where am I?
I told you, in the hospital.
In the hospital!
How can you tell so many lies?
Open the bottle instead! Go on!
You're beautiful as ever.
Hideo says you must try his massage against smoking.
Non-smokers are the ones who cause the most trouble.
You'll be young again for your Japanese fans.
What's the magician saying?
If this works, I'll sue him.
He'll make smoke come out of your ears!
I'm already suffering withdrawal pains.
Do you have trouble getting up?
When Hideo lifts his hands from stomach, say "hennn..."
Louder.
When he lets go your nose, say "hooon..."
With a woman like that you have to...
You have to what?
Oh, nothing.
I think I deserve a reward.
But, Mr. Mastroianni...
I thought I told him already.
Sorry to disappoint you, Hideo.
But I'd have felt worse had you succeeded.
Friends, if you'll allow me.
I'd like to perform a little trick
in honor of our beloved hostess.
O, magic wand of Mandrake,
take us back in time
to those days so sublime!
Who are you? A goddess?
The great Mother, the fathomless sea, our home?
Are you Eve, the first woman to appear on the Earth?
There are many questions I'd like to ask, Anita.
For instance, do you have any schnapps?
Fuck you, 'Marcelino'!
Don't make me laugh, my moustache will come off.
I'll get some. I need a drink myself.
Bring that shack forward!
Steady, don't let it wobble!
I'll tell you when to stop.
A little more, a little more.
Here at Stage 14,
we'll shoot one of the most important sequences.
Excuse me a moment.
The tests for... that's it...
for Kafka's characters.
We'll show what it means
to shoot a test, to choose a face,
what it means to be photogenic,
why one person is and another isn't.
Danilo! Where's Danilo?
Put the gramophone on this table.
Put it where he says.
Danilo, can you come here a minute?
I'm here, Federico.
Now, you...
Turn that mirror until it catches the light.
Like that.
- Come on, fix this. - Leave me alone.
Miranda, keep an eye on her.
Federico, the wardrobes?
I saw them, of course, I saw them, they're beautiful.
Good, Sergio. Bravo!
Everybody do the Charleston!
Maria Teresa, everybody!
Everybody, keep to the beat.
You too, Nello.
Dance as you push the tub!
There you go!
Good, keep playing.
- He should have used Ekberg. - He didn't ask her.
Take them over there, by the makeup.
Keep dancing, smiling.
Fix your pom-poms and your hair.
Then the film itself leads you elsewhere.
Some scenes, some characters,
don't belong to the story anymore.
He said he'd test me for this "Brunelda."
Don't I look like her?
We've looked at dozens of boys for "Karl."
We went to schools, special academies,
religious institutes, the Conservatory.
Fellini wanted a delicate, spiritual face,
yet full of life.
Because the star in Kafka's "Amerika" is just a kid.
I'd like you to make the same gestures.
When I say "get up," you both get up.
Okay, now.
The same gesture, in unison.
Fix your pom-poms, jackets and hair.
Smile, look at the camera.
Nadia, call Maurizio.
Maurizio, turn towards Nadia.
- Come here. - What is it?
What am I supposed to do?
They called you. So just wait. They'll tell you.
Doesn't the fairy godmother of Cinecittá have a costume?
When's the fitting?
Fairy? What are you talking about?
Godmother... vestal virgin... whatever I am.
Lillo, a moment.
Get back here!
Our Nadia's kind of disappointed.
I was stupid to trust you.
You're right, but take my advice.
Be patient, just wait.
You're all a bunch of clowns!
Fellini, who're you starting with?
I don't know... with the lady who was crying earlier.
Have her sit down.
Hello. You're familiar with the character?
You told me before.
A former singer, of ample proportions,
overbearing, childish, gluttonous,
self-pitying, complaining.
It's hot.
Now testing for Brunelda's character.
Give the lady a fan too.
Bring on the Delamarche pair, both of them.
Look towards her. Greet her.
This young man, what's his name?
- Cruciani. - Cruciani, eat your sardines.
What's the name of the first Delamarche?
Carniti, smile at the lady. At those others, too.
Twirl your moustache.
Look into the camera, smooth your hair.
Touch your hair and look into the camera.
Smile.
A seductive look... more of a scoundrel.
I know they're disgusting, but your character loves sardines.
Good.
Signora, let them lead you to the tub.
You too, Carniti. Both of you help her.
Like a big baby doll, into the tub.
You go on eating sardines.
And say your line.
Pour the oil into the palm of your hand.
Lick your fingers. You really lust for sardines.
You're insane about sardines!
Take another one.
Good, good!
Here's our beautiful Roberta. Not scared now?
I'll feed you your lines, don't worry.
Smile.
Look straight ahead, just like that.
You go on caressing her, caressing her.
And you, Cruciani, lick your lips like a greedy dog.
Envious, arrogant.
Excuse me. Can we stay here?
Keep back with that light.
Fellini, can the Japanese stay?
Signor Fellini, one question.
Will you shoot Kafka's "Amerika" in America?
Now, you guys over there, open the gate.
Push the wheelchair.
Your hand, Signora. Wave!
You two, stand on either side of the door.
Exit... What's the matter, come on!
The kid can't make it.
Fine, then go and help him.
Are you done with those cut-outs already?
Come closer with that wheelchair.
Now what are you doing?
Test scene... Karl on the American street,
pushing Brunelda in the wheelchair towards the whorehouse.
Where's the whorehouse?
How should I know?
The atmosphere is good. This is the light I wanted.
You said in the finale I'd be standing in a cemetery for dead actors.
The vestal projecting the movies
of the great actresses of the past.
That's been cut.
It was nice, sure, but it meant bad luck.
There goes your cemetery.
Maurizio, this looks like you.
I thought it was you.
Romano, cut the lights before everything blows up.
It's raining!
Somebody up there loves us! We can go home.
Tonino, what'll we do?
Wait a moment. It might let up.
Cut the juice!
Maestro, should we get to a shelter?
Wait! Don't run away!
Maurizio, call them!
Make them come back!
Attention!
We are shooting!
Back to your places!
Let's move, please.
Everybody, this way!
Bring the tarp here!
Turn it...
Where are the benches?
Unload those benches!
Right there. Put it down.
Everybody in!
Come on, Maria Teresa, get inside.
Tonino, come here!
Tonino, come inside. Don't be a hero!
You stay outside.
Go take a shower!
Where's my chair?
Who took my chair?
It's the model my brother-in-law designed.
Okay, give it back!
Now, all together.
Ready, go!
Ro-ber-ta! Ro-ber-ta!
Roberta, what's this all about?
I don't know. They picked on me.
It's getting late.
That time I cooked for you... How was my pasta?
When did you ever cook for me?
At my house I'll make you pasta.
The genuine carbonara. Come and you'll see.
It's almost dawn.
It's dawn.
They'll attack now.
They're coming.
Here they are.
Take this. It's loaded.
We'll never surrender!
You'll never get us!
Stop!
That's good, stop!
Was it okay, Maestro?
You were great. Thank you. Very good.
We've wrapped it!
Is that it? How did it go?
I don't know. Don't ask me.
He said stop.
And tomorrow?
The film's over, I said.
Merry Christmas!
Yeah, right, Merry Christmas.
Hello, Gino, can you hear me?
- Merry Christmas! - Thank you! Best wishes!
Good-bye. Thank you!
Thank you! Best wishes.
You're easy to work with.
- Good-bye, Tonino! - Best wishes!
Here. Merry Christmas.
Thank you. Merry Christmas.
Hey, you guys!
Somebody give me a push. I'm stuck.
Come here, push me!
I'm coming, uncle's little darling.
- Push me! - I'm pushing!
- Switch to neutral. - I'm already in neutral!
How about a date?
- Good-bye! - This is mine.
Good-bye, take care of yourself!
Merry Christmas!
Merry Christmas, Maestro!
Good-bye, my friend!
Thank you!
Hello, Gino? Maurizio, here. Over.
We've wrapped this one, too.
We can all go home!
Let's go home, then.
- So long, Gino. - Best wishes.
Same to you.
The film should end here.
In fact, it ends here.
And I hear the words of an old producer of mine.
"What? Without the faintest hope, or ray of sunshine?
Give me a ray of sunshine, " he would beg at the end of each film.
A ray of sunshine?
Well, let's try.
Take one!