If the answer to a pub quiz question “Which classic film uses Wagner’s Ride of the Valkyries in its most famous scene?” turned out to be “Fellini’s 8 1/2″, the quizmaster would most likely be pelted with beer. But the scene at the fountain pre-dates Coppola’s Apocalypse Now (1979) by sixteen years and is every bit as memorable.

Whilst few contest Fellini’s technical virtuosity, critics have at times adjudged him to be indulgent and frivolous. He ought to plead guilty on both counts, because his indulgence and his frivolity are what makes his films great. By investing himself and his insecurities so wholly in his pictures, Fellini relaxes the viewer and invites them to play and dream along with him.

Otto e Mezzo (actually Fellini’s 8th film, but he had previously made two contributions to portmanteau films, hence the “half”) is a film about a creatively and sexually frustrated film-maker, Guido, and (allowing for the use of charismatic lead actor and regular alter ego Marcello Mastroianni to portray him) would be the most plainly autobiographical film by a director until Woody Allen’s Manhattan (1979).

But whilst a lot of film-makers seek to point the finger at the obstacles facing them, Fellini points the finger squarely at himself. It is this honesty and self-deprecation which draws the audience into the surreal and astonishing dreamworld of the film. This perfect marriage of style (by the lorry load) with substance (the film acts as a 2 hour confessional) amounts to one of the undisputed landmarks of 20th Century Cinema.

The SMIC concerns Guido’s visit to a source whilst on a “cure” (a sort of old-fashioned continental form of rehab) and his fantasising about an unknown girl (Claudia Cardinale). All of Fellini’s cheek, style and satirical prowess pour out of the screen, setting the standard for a film whose set pieces never cease to outdo one another.

[The SMIC is from 0.00 to 3:21]