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And the Ship Sails On - Criterion Collection

And the Ship Sails On - Criterion Collection

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Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Underrated Fellini film is a dazzler by all means
Review: The problem with people who've watched past Fellini films expect the same cinematic effect from his later ones. There's a certain magic that exists in the first few Fellini films you've watched. He makes you create movies in your own mind through a flowing series of fantastic images. Fellini's films don't really say too much in contrast to Bergman or Bunuel or even his pupil Wertmuller save for his constant jabs with the aristocracy and organized religion. Most of his films are made to serve the purpose of essential cinema. One just has to watch and enjoy the scenery like does a painter's obra maestra. And that is where his genius in artistry lies. He's not like other colleagues of his who are burdened with social responsibility to weave images out of their moral consciousness. Such is the case of And The Ship Sails On. This is one movie that dazzles both the eye and ear. Sit back and relax and let yourself be glided through this experience in Felliniesque phantasmagoria. True enough, the Criterion version does not offer extras which may make one think twice about the price of the disk. But then, a Fellini DVD is worth more than a lot of others of the same price range. Enjoy!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Underrated Fellini film is a dazzler by all means
Review: The problem with people who've watched past Fellini films expect the same cinematic effect from his later ones. There's a certain magic that exists in the first few Fellini films you've watched. He makes you create movies in your own mind through a flowing series of fantastic images. Fellini's films don't really say too much in contrast to Bergman or Bunuel or even his pupil Wertmuller save for his constant jabs with the aristocracy and organized religion. Most of his films are made to serve the purpose of essential cinema. One just has to watch and enjoy the scenery like does a painter's obra maestra. And that is where his genius in artistry lies. He's not like other colleagues of his who are burdened with social responsibility to weave images out of their moral consciousness. Such is the case of And The Ship Sails On. This is one movie that dazzles both the eye and ear. Sit back and relax and let yourself be glided through this experience in Felliniesque phantasmagoria. True enough, the Criterion version does not offer extras which may make one think twice about the price of the disk. But then, a Fellini DVD is worth more than a lot of others of the same price range. Enjoy!

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: a though provoking film
Review: This review is for the Criterion Collection DVD edition of the film.

The film's original title is "E la nave va"

It follows the story of an ocean liner going into the Mediterrainian Sea to scatter the ashes of a famous singer near the island she grew up on. The film takes place just before the start of World War I. The assassination of Ferdinand is mentioned as just having happened partway through the film. They later take on Serbian passengers and the crew suspect them of being spies.

Unfortunately, there are no special features on this DVD.

The film has some interesting scenes. The beginning scene reminded me of the first scene in the 1997 version of Titanic witht he black and white slow silent footage of the ship.

Later the film seuges from black and white into color in a manner similar to a scene in Andrei Tarkovsky's Solaris which was released by the Criterion Collection on DVD exactly 1 day before the release of Steven Soderbergh's remake of Solaris.

The film has some some humorous scenes one of which is a man singing in a bass tune, causing a chicken to fall asleep.

This is a must for anyone interested in Italian cinema.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: a though provoking film
Review: This review is for the Criterion Collection DVD edition of the film.

The film's original title is "E la nave va"

It follows the story of an ocean liner going into the Mediterrainian Sea to scatter the ashes of a famous singer near the island she grew up on. The film takes place just before the start of World War I. The assassination of Ferdinand is mentioned as just having happened partway through the film. They later take on Serbian passengers and the crew suspect them of being spies.

Unfortunately, there are no special features on this DVD.

The film has some interesting scenes. The beginning scene reminded me of the first scene in the 1997 version of Titanic witht he black and white slow silent footage of the ship.

Later the film seuges from black and white into color in a manner similar to a scene in Andrei Tarkovsky's Solaris which was released by the Criterion Collection on DVD exactly 1 day before the release of Steven Soderbergh's remake of Solaris.

The film has some some humorous scenes one of which is a man singing in a bass tune, causing a chicken to fall asleep.

This is a must for anyone interested in Italian cinema.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Europe as a fantasmagoric ship of fools. Fellini's best.
Review: To my mind, "And the ship sails on" is maybe Fellini's best movie.

The story is delightful, fantasmagoric allegory about the last days of Grand Old Europe, when the "old order" with its nobility and social hierarchy blows up in smoke, in 1914, with the events that lead to WWI.

Fellini, though, is not interested in real events and precise history. He is a fable teller, portraying old Europe, to a grand ocean liner, set on a ceremonial voyage, to scatter the ashes of a famous opera diva, who had recently died. Upon the ship are all the rich and famous of Europe's nobility, as well as all the top musicians and opera singer-stars who joined in for the ride. Stacked in the lower compartments are the poor and the hungry, fleeing refugees brought on board as an act of compassion, that form the powder keg that will ignite the inevitable final explosion .

It is impossible to describe the kaleidoscopic scenes that occur between the passangers as the ship sails on. Imbued with fantastic portrayals of musical rivalry, political intrigue, lascivious affairs, and a pervasive sense of magic tinged with irony- the entire voyage, with its lavish scenery, turns into a tragi-comic, dream-like happening, where the spectator is tickled as much as emotionally moved. Only Fellini the master could conjure such a dazzling, symbolic and unbelievably lovely spectacle of a human folly of an era.

A lot of fun and a classic must.


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