After making his first film, Lo sciecco bianco, (1952) he came out with his first masterpiece, which revealed his understanding of character atmosphere. I vitelloni (1953) Fellini shot this film in his hometown of Rimini to show the innocence of the seaside community he recalls identifying with. These shots in turn added semiautobiographical elements to the viewer and were available to notice. .
His next film La Strada (1954) drove Fellini into a direction of unorthodox neorealism. This told the simple story of simpleminded peasant girl who is sold to a circus strongman for a plate of pasta. Critics from the left attempted to destroy its reputation by claiming it was a betrayal to the social commitment of the movement. However it was very popular and attracted global attention. "By the time he made La strada, Fellini had assembled about him the group of collaborators with whom he was to work for the most of his career: his co-scenarists, Ennio Flaiano and Tullio Pinelli; his director of photography, Otello Martelli; his compose, Nino Rota; and his leading lady, Giulietta Masina, who was also his wife. (pg. 532) " Continuing to his first widescreen production was the sexually explicit La dolce vita (1960). This explores the concerns of every day life of a Roman journalist and creates a superficial social environment through decadence and corruption. Fellini uses long shots to accent the widescreen beauty and to allow viewers to experience different emotions while keeping the camera steady. This film gained him international recognition and set him up for his next piece, which is arguably one of his best.
By 1963, Federico Fellini had made, by his count, seven and a half films. So when Federico Fellini made this next film, he called it 8 ½. This film is about making a film, and the film that is being made is 8 ½. "Fellini moved directly into the world of self-reflexive fantasy.
