Federico Fellini: His Life and Work

by Tullio Kezich, Minna Proctor (Translator)

"Trenchant in its critical analysis, absorbing and sympathetic in its account of his private life, Kezich's Fellini is a revelation. It effaces virtually everything written to date about the Italian maestro . . . This engrossing biography mirrors its subject. It's affectionate, garrulous and often rambling, and in sudden flashes of brilliance it offers a penetrating view of Fellini's life and art." ―Peter Cowie, The Nation

"Few writers are able to approach Fellini with the privilege of intimate experience and friendship . . . Kezich fills the pages of this biography with uncommon detail and artistry, presenting a chronicle that weaves life with film, fact with fantasy, in a style reminiscent of the great director's avant-garde style . . . For the aficionado of Fellini's works, this narrative of his life provides a sea of subtle, precious anecdotes. To those yet unacquainted with the Italian master, the book is an introduction not only to the man's life, but his art, also. It's a captivating read." ―Karoun Demirjian, The Christian Science Monitor

"Kezich's forty-year friendship with the maestro allows him to offer up an intimate and lively portrait of Fellini filled with revealing anecdotes and psychological insight." ―Michel Ciment, author of Kubrick and Kazan on Kazan

Genres: Film, Nonfiction, Biography, Art, Italy

464 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1987

About the author

Tullio Kezich was an Italian film critic, screenwriter, playwright and actor.

Kezich was born in Trieste. A film critic for Corriere della Sera, he co-wrote the screenplay for the 1988 film, La leggenda del santo bevitore (The Legend of the Holy Drinker), based on the novel by Joseph Roth. Directed by Ermanno Olmi and starring Rutger Hauer, the film won the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival in 1988.

Recognized as a world specialist on Federico Fellini, his ground-breaking biography of the Italian director, Fellini, la vita e i film (Camunia, 1987), was revised and published in English as Fellini: His Life and Work in 2006. Peter Cowie wrote that the book surpassed all the other works on the director in English, French and Italian. Kezich authored numerous other books on cinema and was also a playwright, whose works have been performed throughout Europe. He died aged 80 in Rome.

Reviews

[Addicted2booksStefania · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have finally finished this book, in light of my finishing my directed research course on Federico Fellini! Here’s the thing, I appreciated the context for the films and some of the ways Fellini’s experiences influenced the films. That being said! The great Dr. Alberto Zambenedetti, my wonderful professor, always emphasized that we could never be sure what was real and what was fiction with Fellini. So in a way, I feel the biographer also fell into Fellini’s trap by taking a autofiction as fact. Anyways, if you are looking for a biography on Fellini, this is the pick!

[Filippo Ulivieri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Parte malissimo con una serie di capitoli raffazzonati e aneddotici, senza ritmo, che accavallano episodi su episodi. Poi, quando Fellini diventa regista, ogni capitolo è dedicato a un film e il libro migliora così tanto che pare scritto da un altro. Kezich ragguaglia sulla trama e sulle idee soggiacenti per ogni progetto, dà un minimo di informazioni sulla produzione e si concentra molto sull'accoglienza del film all'uscita. Punteggiando con frasi felliniane, riesce soprattutto a dare un'impressione veloce ma nitida della personalità e del carattere del regista, caposaldo di ogni biografia fatta bene.

[Geert Verbanck · Rating 4 out of 5]

The maestro really comes alive in these pages. It feels like I've met him. Which is the feeling any good biography should give. Loved it.

[Scott Trinkle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Learned a lot about the life and work of Federico Fellini.

[David · Rating 2 out of 5]

For a renowned director who has lived an illustrious life, the contents of this book was pedestrian. The words lacked feeling and the pages felt heavy like a term paper. Where was the conflict in the book? The spark? The mystery? The humor? You know all of the Felliniesque qualities that made up Fellini. I picked up this book in hopes to get to know who the director was as a person, but all I got was a tedious recount of his filmography.

[Greg · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved that Kezich’s biography places a solid emphasis on filmic analysis, which seems to be missing from other filmmakers popular accounts, but I also felt it was missing some more personal information- surprising especially considering how verbose and open the filmmaker was.

[O LCB · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another motivational book

[Buitron David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Este libro es exquisito; si bien no me considero un fan de Fellini, debo reconocer que se convirtió en un pilar del séptimo arte al atreverse a hacer cosas distintas en épocas tan decadentes. Como el burro que toco la flauta, así llegó un caricaturista y saliendo siendo el maestro Italiano por excelencia. Un grande, un inmortal. El único que hacía temblar al tiburón Dino De Laurenttis. Excelente libro para los amantes del cine Italiano.

[Cambra · Rating 3 out of 5]

long, but oh so italiano. bravo, tullio.

[Adam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great insight into the artistic mind of one of the greatest.