This study examines the career of one of Italy's most renowned
filmmakers through close analysis of five masterpieces that span his
career: La Strada, La Dolce Vita, 8 1/2, Amarcord and Interview.
Providing an overview of Fellini's early career as a cartoonist and
scriptwriter for Neorealist directors such as Roberto Rosselini, it
traces the development of his unique and personal cinematic vision as it
transcends Italian Neorealism. Rejecting an overtly ideological approach
to Fellini's cinema, Bondanella emphasizes the director's interest in
fantasy, the irrational, and individualism.