Obituary: Federico Fellini
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.ALTHOUGH I know the 'de mortuis' principles no longer apply to obituaries, I found John Baxter's words about Fellini (4 November, further to the obituary by Gilbert Adair, 1 November) mean-spirited, writes Jonathan Cecil. In his recent critical biography of the Maestro his account of the making of And The Ship Sails On - the Fellini film in which I was privileged to appear - was far from accurate.
Of course Fellini was a showman, a fantasist, a flamboyant line-shooter in the Barnum league. He was also a genius: he had a gift akin, it seems, to Tyrone Guthrie's for galvanising a crowd of wildly disparate actors into a vital, riotous unit.
He was also spontaneously kind-hearted. I can give two examples of this quality. He employed a once-celebrated circus clown whose legs had been amputated after a trapeze fall, although this artist was inessential to the finished film. On New Year's Eve 1982-83 he invited all the cast back to his flat after giving one of his numerous generous dinners, and insisted that all the British actors rang home at midnight at his expense. (He was especially kind to us - finding us more disciplined than Italians and less intense than Americans.)
He was a big man. Alas, there seems to be a yawning chasm between film-makers - be they directors, technicians or actors - and many film critics.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments