Ciao, Federico!

CIAO, FEDERICO! (1970) An untraditional documentary, part-making-of, part-portrait. Filmmaker Gideon Bachman spent a few weeks filming Director Federico Fellini while he was making his 1969 film SATYRICON in various locations in Italy as well as at Cinecitta Studios.

It's a real hodgepodge as we only really see what appears to be a handful of filming days. The portrait of Fellini isn't entirely flattering as he is shown berating a young Dante Ferretti* over an inadequate set, and constantly squabbling with his cast and extras. Famed Cinematographer Giuseppe Rotunno is also spotted among the crew.

There are a few moments of levity as Fellini toys with the cast and crew as well as some on set visitors including Roman Polanski and Sharon Tate (extolling the virtues of Disneyland of all things!). Bachman conducts some one on one interviews with Fellini, but never gets much out of him. More informative is an audio snippet from Fellini's mother talking about how the young Federico was fascinated with puppets and the circus from an early age.

SATYRICON is Fellini's most chaotic film, so, perhaps, it's no surprise that this documentary ends up being much the same itself. It's mainly for Fellini completists.

* Ferretti was an assistant on this film, but later became an Oscar winning Production Designer (Hugo, Aviator, Sweeney Todd)

Should have been titled "Portrait Of The Artist As An Aging Butthole" since the first forty minutes or so is pretty much given over to the Great Man moaning, yelling, bellyaching, mistreating animals on the set, throwing objects at his actors while criticizing their bad Italian accents and calling them "faggot". Toward the end director Gideon Bachman, perhaps aware that he has created a somewhat unlovable monster, has a bunch of Fellini's players compliment him but it all seems half hearted, at best. And, as previous reviewer boblipton has stated, any perceptions about film making are purely accidental. C minus.

It's a one-hour documentary shot in conjunction with production of FELLINI SATYRICON, showing Fellini at work on the movie. There are brief clips of his co-workers, mostly performers, talking about how he tells them what to do, but not why, nothing of the inner workings of characters.

There's also a brief voice-over comment by his mother Ida about the puppet shows he put on as a child. The film maker obviously considers this significant -- otherwise, why include it? -- implying that is how Fellini views his performers, whom he addresses in a variety of tones from wheedling to explosive, changing mien in an instant. Is it all an act?

There's no insight offered into what makes Fellini interesting: his movies.