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Year: 2016

Federico Fellini: from catholicism to the collective unconscious

Mäder, Marie-Therese

Posted at the Zurich Open Repository and Archive, University of Zurich ZORA URL: https://doi.org/10.5167/uzh-129171 Book Section Published Version

Originally published at: Mäder, Marie-Therese (2016). : from catholicism to the collective unconscious. In: Burnette-Bletsch, Rhonda. The Bible in motion : a handbook of the Bible and its reception in film. Berlin/Boston: De Gruyter, 635-648. Marie-Therese Mäder 39 FedericoFellini: From Catholicismtothe Collective Unconscious

The interface between Federico Fellini’s(1920–1993) oeuvreand religion is rich but complex and evident in abroad rangeofreligiouslyconnoted topics,motifs, stories, and styles.Literal biblical references rarelyappear in Fellini’scinematic universe. Nevertheless they are present,often visualized and materialized in asubverted char- acter.For biblical reception in Fellini’swork is mediated through his interpretation of Catholic ideas inasmuchashereceivedthe biblical tradition in athoroughlyRoman Catholic context. Fellini’screative period, which started in 1950 with Luci del varietà (a.k.a.)and ended in 1990 with La voce della luna (a.k.a. TheVoice of the Moon), com- prises twenty-four films thathedirected. Films withoutreference to Roman Cathol- icism are in the minority,asFellini unremittingly accused the Church and its agents of factitiousness and ambivalence. Roman Catholic censorsofficiallybanned La ten- tazionedel dottor Antonio (1962, a.k.a. TheTemptationofDr. Antonio,acontribution to the omnibus production Boccaccio ’70)and 8½ (1963). Conservative groups pro- tested at the screenings of other works.Fellini’scritical ambivalencetowardthe Church is repeatedlyevident in the aesthetic of his workand attests to the signifi- cance of RomanCatholicism in his familial, social,and educational background. Fellini has explained RomanCatholicism’sinescapable presenceinhis life story:

It’sdifficultbiologicallyand geographically not to be aCatholic in . It’slike acreature born beneath the sea – how can it not be afish?For one born in Italy, it’sdifficultnot to breathe, from childhood onward, this catholic atmosphere. One whocomes fromItalian parents passes a childhood in Italy, enters the church as baby,makes his Communion, witnesses Catholic funer- als – how can he not be aCatholic?Still, Ihaveagreat admiration for those whodeclarethem- selvesadetached laity – but Idon’tsee how this can happen in Italy. (Cardullo 2006,40–41)

Fellini’sexperience of being raised in the Roman Catholic tradition provided him with alarge pool of symbolic, ethical, and ritual material on which to draw.This ma- terial was later supplemented through his interest in supernatural experiences,such as medium-led séances,and in the Jungiantheory of dreams, archetypes,and the unconscious. As aresult, avast spectrum of religious symbols,themes, and dimen- sions populate Fellini’sfilms, derivednot onlyfrom Roman Catholicism but also from spiritual, supernatural, and psychoanalytical ideas. The Italian director was born on ,1920, as the first child of aRoman Catholic middle class familyinRimini, Italy. His filmographyiscloselyrelated to and an important part of his personal interests and their development.This chapter there- fore follows the chronology of Fellini’sfilms, with aspecific focus on individual

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scenes.Onthat scorethe analysis concentrates on three particularreferences in his work: (1) to the Roman CatholicChurch, and especiallytoits agents, ethical issues, institutional aspects, and power relations,(2) to miracles, especiallyintheir sub- stance and form within aRomanCatholic context (Stubbs 2006,1–36),and (3) to dreams,phantasies, and archetypes as understood by psychoanalyst Carl Gustav Jung (Stubbs 2006,37–69; Bondanella 1992, 150 –226).

Suffering, Repentanceand Mercy in the Humanitarian Fifties While workingasascriptwriter and assistant director in the 1940s, Fellini had been embedded in the tradition of Italian , but he subsequently, and quickly, found his own artistic style. On an ethical level, Christian understandingsofissues such as suffering,guilt, forgiveness, repentance,and redemption playacrucial role in Fellini’sseven black and whiteproductions of the .Inall these productions, acertain ambivalencetowardthe RomanCatholic Church is expressed. Some protag- onists experience relief, but that amelioration never lasts for long as in Lo sceicco bianco (1952, a.k.a. TheWhite Sheikh). In this first film as sole director we encounter the Fellini universe at its best. Lo sceicco bianco contains two storylines, each drivenbyone of the protagonists. In the first,ayoung married couple, Wanda and Ivan Cavalli, travel to for the first time.Ivanwants to introduce his youngwife to his relativesinorder to impress his uncle, an employee at the Vatican. The uncle arranges for the young couple to attend an audience with the pope. The second storyline tells of Wanda’ssecretly meeting the hero of asoap operacalled the “White Sheikh.” As soon as she has a chance, she sneaks away from the hotel room to go to the soap opera’sproduction office. Meanwhile Ivan is looking for Wanda in the streets of Rome, encounters two prostitutes (Cabiria is playedbyGiulietta Masina), and spends the night with one of them. In the morning the hospital calls Ivan to tell him that his wife had tried to kill herself but thathecan take her home. With less than one hour until the audience at the Vatican, time is running out.Ivan meets Wandaatthe hospital. Both are cryingand both repent their actions, although they do not recount the full stories to each other.They arrive on time at St.Peter’sSquare, to be welcomed by Ivan’srelatives, who had been told by Ivan that Wanda was unwell and are happy to see her recovered. As the couple proceeds hand in hand to their audience with the pope, the bells of St.Peter’sring out.They have forgiveneach other, without knowing the details of each adventure. Wanda looks at her husband and tells him, “Ivan, mio sceicco bianco sei tu!” (You are now my White Sheik!).¹

 All translations of Italian dialogueare by the author.

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The happy ending does not see the innocenceofthe couple restored, but through the institution of the church, they can return to aconventionalized reality.The audi- ence alone knows both storylines and can detect the ambiguous overtones.The imageofthe innocent couple is to be preserved without digging more deeply. Fellini portrayed how he believed institutional religion functioned. The church watches over morals, but its concerns are superficial. Thetruth can be suppressed to allow the church to frame the perfect RomanCatholic couple. Twoworlds depicted in Lo sceicco bianco are typicalofFellini’snarratives. On one hand, we encounter aself-reflexive attitude towardartistic work, its milieu, and its agents.InLo sceicco bianco that setting is provided by the soap opera; else- whereinFellini’swork it is provided by the (, 1954; Iclowns,1970), theatre and variety shows (Luci del varietà,1950), film (,1987), television (Ginger eFred,1986), and an orchestra(Provadiorchestre,1979). The artist is often amorallyambivalent and sad outsider; the behavior of some artists is unstable, exaggerated, and excessive (Stubbs 2006,105–107). On the other hand, we are pro- vided with adepiction of Christian morality that represents asecond world, but one that is just as ambivalent as the artist’sworld. The attitudes of the RomanCatholic Church provide adouble moralstandard, for the church sets up its values and norms in oppositiontothe artistic lifestyle, which its agents denounce as undignified. Watchingovermorality and proper conduct,the adherents of the institutionalchurch seek to regulate everydaylife and to control fantasy – but without success in either field. The pressures applied by Christian morality and values also playacrucial role in Ivitelloni. The idea of marriage as apromise kept for life is alsofound in other Fellini films from this period, but with aless hopeful outcome as in Agenzia matri- moniale.² The plot from Fellini’searlyyears as director is conciliatory,leadinguptoa happy ending,but by contrast,the protagonists are not savedinthe black-and- whitenarration of later productions. Fellini encourages no compassion for either of- fender or victim. The poor,naïve, and helpless figures are mostlyexposed to evil while they still believeinmiracles. The suffering of the characters reinforces the emotionality of the story and stimulates the empathyofthe audience. Ethically these films focus on values basedonChristian conceptsofcharity, which is, in turn, closelyconnected to suffering, repentance,and redemption (Wie- gand 2003,42–71). Forexample, in La strada (1954, “The Road”)the amiable tramp Gelsomina () is delivered up to the arbitrary brutality of Zampanò (AnthonyQuinn). Onlywhen he learns of her death does he recognize the error of his ways,asnow he misses her.Toacertain extent Gelsomina could be considered as Christ-figure and the whole film as aChristian parable. In (1955, “The Swindle”)three swindlers dress up as clergymen and recount invented stories to

 The film is part of the omnibus production Amoreincittà (), with short films directedbyMi- chelangelo Antonioni, AlbertoLattuada, , and amongothers.

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poor and credulous peasants in order to acquiretheir money.Afterone fellow wants out of the business,his companions attack him with stones and takeall his money, leaving him gravelyinjured and alone in the wasteland, wherehedies. Aestheticallythese narrations are full of Roman Catholic symbols employed in emotional situations and often at turning points: Touched by alarge procession that includes crosses and statues, Gelsomina kneels down as it passes by her. Later,during her journey with Zampanò, she meets awarm and loving nun in aclois- ter,wherethe travelers can stayovernight.Gelsomina feels accepted and comfortable in this place and cries when they have to leave in the morning.Picasso in Il bidone sees astatue of the Virgin Mary and starts to regret having lied to his wife; after hear- ing church bells ring out,hedecides to go home. In Le notti di Cabiria (1957, a.k.a. )friends invite the prostituteCabiria to join them on apilgrimage to ashrine to the Virgin Mary.The place is crowded with praying and chanting peo- ple full of hope and expectation. Votive offerings are brought,candlesare sold, and a procession tries to reach the church. Cabiria queues to see the picture of the Virgin Mary,praying for help to changeher life. After the ritual she desperatelyrealizes that nothing has changed. The sad ending is anticipated, even as Cabiria hopesfor abet- ter future.

Fig. 73: Praying foramiracle in Le notti di Cabiria (1957)

Fellini’sroots as afilmmaker layinItalian neorealism, traces of which can be deter- mined in his portrayal of ordinary people – Wanda and Ivan, Sandraand Fausto, Pi- casso, Augusto, or the outsider figures Gelsomina and Zampanò – as well in his shootingonlocation and his use of layactors.But at the same time Fellini was de- veloping his own artistic style, which has been termedbyChris Wiegand a “phant- asticalindividualism” (Wiegand 2003,43). Fellini’sstrikingsuccess in the 1950s,evi- dent in the for Best Foreign Film awarded to La strada and Le notti die Cabiria,would onlycontinue to grow.

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Death and Transience in the Self-Reflexive1960s As the film studio grew in significanceinthe , Fellini was able to develop his fantastical story worlds.RomanCatholic can still be found in , La tentazione del dottor Antonio,and 8½,but criticism of Roman Catholicism is now more pronounced. And while Catholicism is still visibleinthe setting,itno longer has either impact on individuals or effect on society.Increasingly religious tra- dition is portrayed as an emptyshell. As in the opening scene of La dolce vita (1960, “The Sweet Life”), which criticizes the materiality and superficialityofthe Roman . On May1,1957,ahuge statue of Jesus had been transportedbyheli- copter to St.Peters Square. That event is recalled in La dolce vita when this singular combination is seen flying over the roofs of the outskirts of Rome. The bells of St. Peter’sare ringingsoloudlythat the noise of the helicopter is drowned out.The stat- ue of Jesus and the Marcello (the term “paparazzi” was invented by this film), the protagonist,are introduced together.Marcello Rubini (Marcello Mastroian- ni) is an aspiring writer in search of novelties amongst the Roman upperclass. The latter and the arrival of the statueofJesus at the Vatican are staged as spec- tacles for the massmedia, but so too are religious rituals. The miraculous appear- ance of the Virgin Mary to some children is transformed into asensational television event,with paparazzi everywhere. In the midst of the exaggerated excitement about the possible miracle, asick girl, who had been brought to the sitebyher mother in hope that she would be healed, dies. The morning after the “false” miracle the vis- itors and even the paparazzi, stillshocked by the incident,listen in silence to the priest’sLatin benediction of the death.This scene portrays arare and brief moment in La dolce vita,inwhich areligious professional creates asilent and respectful at- mosphere.

Fig. 74: Amother seeks amiracle for her sickdaughter in La dolce vita (1960)

In La tentazionedel dottor Antonio (1962, TheTemptation of Dr.Antonio)the double moral standards of Christian politicians are again criticized. In the film the politician Dr.Antonio is distracted by alarge and temptingadvertisement that has been placed in front of his house. On this poster,awoman, , seductively promotes the drinking of milk. The film introducedthe topic of temptation and uncontrolled

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dreams,towhich Fellini returnedinanumber of subsequent productions. The direc- tor was very interested in Jung’sdream theory,although at the time references to the Roman Catholic Church werestill plentiful. He connected these twoworldviews, the Roman Catholicand the Jungian, in 8½,which proved highlysuccessfuland provid- ed noteworthyinsight into the mind of afilm director. The opening sequence of 8½ (1963) considers the uncontrolled unconscious as it portraysanightmare experienced by the middle-aged Guido Anselmi (). Unable to escape his creative crisis, Anselmi cannot finish his film. At the end of the film, duringameeting with journalists, he hides under atable and shoots himself. The narration ends as it had begun, with adream se- quence in which the director finishes his film. The film portraysits subject’sself-seek- ing attempt to form acontinuous narrative of his life. Anselmi, Fellini’salter ego, is omnipresent as the first-person narrator.The protagonist is searchingfor authenticity and individual truth within acontext shaped by religious tradition and public opin- ion (Pamerleau2009). Several scenes reference Roman Catholicism as adefining el- ement of the principal protagonist’sdaily life and biography. In his process of self- discovery,the morality on which religious tradition and the church insist is ade- manding obstacle thatneeds to be overcome. This issue can be seen clearlyinthe scene in which Anselmi asks for the advice of aclergyman, as arepresentative of the Church, about his screenplay, which will deal with religious issues. The clergyman insists that some topics, such as religion, cannot be broached by cinema because films often mix the sacred with profane love. Subsequently the director is introduced to another clergyman, this time acardinal, who does not even listen to the director’sdoubts. The feeling of not being heard by representativesofthe Church is recapitulated in aflashback. Anselmirecalls being caught,along with his friends, watchingthe prostituteSaraghina on the beach. Ahumiliating punishment had followed, in front of his teachers,all of them clerics, and in the presenceofhis cruel-hearted mother.Having confessed and repented, the boy returns to Saraghina. The punish- ment could not stop him watchingthe prostitute’sdance. In asubsequent dream sequence, Anselmi again encounters the cardinal, this time in the steam bath. At the end of their conversation the cardinal stresses that there is no salvation outside the Church and states thatifyou don’tbelong to the “civitas dei” youbelong to the “civitasdiabolic.” The door to the bishop’sbath is closed,symbolicallyalso closing off the path to the Church. In addition to manyother prizes, 8½ was awarded Fellini’sthird Oscar in the cat- egory Best Foreign Film; simultaneouslythe film was banned by the Roman Catholic Church. Fellini was now at the zenithofhis achievement as adirector.His public and personal falling out with the Church portrayed in 8½ wasnot picked up again in sub- sequent productions.

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Dreams and LSDinthe Supernatural Mid-Sixties Fellini’sinterest in Jungian psychologyand paranormal phenomena stronglyinflu- enced his later works.John Stubbs has identified possible connections between Fel- lini’sengagements with religious belief and with Jungian psychology, arguing that “Jung provided Fellini with akind of equivalent belief system that could supplant more traditionalreligious belief: in short, an orderingvision,ifnot aphilosophy” (Stubbs 2006,260). Although Fellini has forciblyrounded on thosewho have under- stood Jungian theory as abelief system, recording, “Iamterriblyimpatient with peo- ple who dismiss Jung as anutcase who took himself for an Aryan Christ,” (Pettigrew 2003,83) Jungian archetypes that include the concept of the anima and animus and the collective conscious can be understood as forming parallels with areligious worldview (Morgenthaler 2002,234–246). Fellini’sexperimentation with psychedelic drugs alsoprovided multifaceted sources of inspiration. In the mid-1960s he had started to experiment with LSD under the supervision of psychoanalyst,parapsychologist,and journalist Emilio Ser- vado, one of the founders of Italian psychoanalysis.Thisnew preoccupation left con- spicuous traces in his films with the fact that all his films werenow shot in color. Fellini’scolorful aesthetic, which Frank Burke has termed “one of the most vivid ex- plorations of color in the history of the medium,” (Burke 1996,137) formed asignifi- cant stylistic means of expressingthe supernatural and unconscious realm. In Giulietta degli spiriti (1965, a.k.a. ), which mirrors Fellini’s interest in paranormal phenomena, visual differencesbetween dreams, reality,the subconscious,and the supernatural are difficult to discern. Betrayed by her hus- band, Giulietta is searchingfor the true spiritual experience.She does not believe that séances can provide access to the spirit world, but she holds that she herself en- counters that world through the voices she hears. The narration is full of religious symbols and rituals thatare RomanCatholic, supernatural, or psychological: the martyrplay, the séances with the medium, the guru meeting,and the psychodrama, for example. But none of these encounters can help Giulietta in her lonelysituation as betrayed wife. With alast gaze into the lens of the camera, she withdrawsinto her personal imagination where, Burke writes, “her mind and world are conjoined” (Burke 2003,137). Giulietta’stransformationcomes from her leaving this world be- hind and envisaginganew beginning. in Tre passi nel delirio (a.k.a. ), Fellini’sthird contribution to an omnibus production alsodeals with the world of spirits. The film is basedonashort story by EdgarAllen Poeinwhich an English Shakespearean actor,namedToby Dammit,receivesanItalian award. Hisprize takes the form of a yellow Ferrari, which Dammit driveswhen very drunk, resulting in his death. Toby Dammit is full of critical and even satiric references to Christianityand Roman Ca- tholicism, set in the context of show business. Dammit’saward, for example, is giveninrecognition of his role as JesusinanItalian Western. In atelevision inter- view,inresponse to the journalist’squestion whether the devil looks like ablack

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cat,abat,oraghost,Dammit answers: “Ono, IamEnglish, not Catholic! To me the devil is cheerful. He looks like alittle girl.” The actor’simagination shows the devil as agirl dressed in whiteplaying with awhiteball, very much the opposite of the conventional religious typologyrecalled by the journalist in the interview.Not onlyinthis answer but alsointhe unfolding of the story,Dammit starts to freehim- self of the limitations of his life as an actor.Finallythe devil frees him from this de- manding system duringhis fateful drive:Dammit is beheaded by abar as he tries to run over the white-dressed girl with the whiteball.

Fig. 75: The devil in Toby Dammit (1968)

Again show business and religion, bothinstitutional and social,are intermingled, with each depicted as afalse, superficial, and exploitative system. The successful actor who voluntarilyfollows the devil can be read as areligious worldview conquer- ing the film industry.The colorful tint in redand orangeacts as asurreal reminder of the haze of anightmare or the fire of purgatory.The film’sstyle is areference to an aesthetic of the 1960s in which drugexperiencesand engagement with the uncon- scious werecentral. The power and attractiveness of the metaphysical, paired with the surrealand fantastical style of excess,shape the colorful Felliniesque universe. Fellini (1969), Fellini’sfirst historical film, provides an excessive narra- tion of Roman antiquity.For awhile Fellini leavesRoman Catholicism behind and turns his attention to another Italian culturalmyth, which he deconstructs in adis- continuous narrative as afantasy of the past.The film is basedontext fragments of the Roman poet Petronius. The travelogue through an unknown past is full of refer- ences to the collective unconscious and archetypes of Jung.The two protagonists, En- colpio and his pupil Ascilto, ahomosexual couple, provide continuity in the frag- mented narration. The film is ametaphor for the nature of history and its contingent process. Fellini scrutinizes Roman decadence, highlighting perverted be- havior.Death,marriage, and sacrificial rituals are excessively staged, with the partic- ipants drivenbysexual and material instincts. Remarkably, the tagline of the U.S. film poster was “Rome before Christ.After Fellini.” Even though it was an inaccurate

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description as the narration is situatedinthe first century A. D.,the wording is ad- equate accordingtothe unique representation of antiquity in film history.

Coming of Ageand the End of Lifeinthe and Early 1980s In Roma and Fellini returned to biographicallyinspired topics.Both films are coming-of-agestories centered on youngmale adult(s) discovering life in aspe- cific social setting.The tensions between reality,onone hand,and fantasiesor dreams,onthe other, and between the present and memories are interwoven with multifaceted and unsparing references to Roman Catholicism and to the fascist ItalyofFellini’syouth. The power of fascism to suppress,supported by religious agents, and the connections of both fascism and Roman Catholicism to the myths of Romanantiquity formed another definingmoment in Fellini’swork. The interfaceofRomanCatholicism, the militarismoffascism, and Roman myth is displayedinthe beginning of Roma (1972, a.k.a. Fellini’sRoma). In aRoman Cath- olic boys’ school, aclass is watchingaslide-show presentation by their teacher,a priest,about important sites in Rome. One slide, secretlyinserted, shows a(almost) naked woman from the back, sitting astride achair.The pupils scream enthusiasti- callywhenthey see the forbidden image. In apanic, the teacher orders thatthe pro- jector be turned off, and shoutsrepeatedly: “Close your eyes! It’sthe devil! Don’t look!” The supervisor, his stick in hand,intones “Inno aRoma” (hymn to Rome) by Giacomo Puccini, apiece of music heard often and on diverse occasions in fascist Italy. Afteratransition to black,afamilyisseen sitting at the table in theirdining room. The maid enters,screamingexcitedlythat the pope is on the radio. The father tries to stop his familyfrom kneelingdown and praying but he loses the fight against the clout of the Vatican. The fascist regime is dominantinthe public sphere, but in the privatesphere the religious institution still reigns. The young Fellini, as aboy in the countrysideand as youngadultinRome, is perfectlyable to cope with both re- gimes. Fellini, as director of Roma and in real life, drawsonhis memoriesasanend- less sourceoffantasy to show how fascismand RomanCatholicism complemented each other. Amarcord (1973)tells another nostalgic coming-of-agestory, looking backthis time to Fellini’splace of birth, , in the 1930s. The film shows fascismstarting to take control in the provincial town on the Adriatic coast while the Roman Catholic Church continues to oversee morals. Sexuality and youthful desire provide the mo- tors of the narrative.The actions and presenceoffascist agentsare starting to influ- ence public life. But neither church nor political party has completecontrol. In short scenes,the sexual experiencesoffivefriends are depicted, with avoiceover by one of the boys.What the boys recount in their confessions and what really happened are not the same. The boys handle the double moralstandards of the Church skillfully.

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Indeed, it seems that clerical supervision promotes sexual desire instead of prevent- ing it. This confession sequence is followed by aparade of fascists. The cameratracks the running participants, who tell of their commitment to the new fascist Roman Em- pire and honor the “Federale,” the leader of the district.The sequential editing of the boys’ confessions and the fascistparade holds up individual and group rituals to rid- icule. The participants themselvesdonot question the fact of the confession or the parade; they simply adapt outwardlyasisnecessary.Fellini reveals the emptiness and insignificance of such rituals in the mise-en-scène and the editing.Bysetting the sexual desire of male youth against the church and the political party,heunder- mines both authorities. Neither system is able to control (sexual) life and fantasies. Roma and Amarcord have asentimental undertone stronglyconnected to Felli- ni’syouth in Rimini and his fledgling years in Rome. Further productions in the 1970sand 1980s consider male midlife crisis and aging. The idea of decayisconnect- ed to the protagonists’ increasingestrangement from the present,atopic Fellini had alreadyaddressed earlier,inhis middle phase, in Iclowns,which depicted clowns as aspecies that was dying out. Il casanovadiFellini (1976, Fellini’sCasanova)and La città delle donne (1980, )also focus on male protagonists as they seek to come to terms with social changes and their male identity. Elanave va (1984, And the Ship SailsOn), afilm in afilm, directs its focus at adecadent society gathering on aship. None of these films use explicitreligious references as Fellini’searlier works had done, but they do consider the meaning of life. Analysis of asequence in Il ca- sanovadiFellini makes evident their implicit religious-philosophical perspective and Fellini’scontinuingdistinct references to Jung. Il casanova di Fellini is about an agingwomanizer who is losing his ability to at- tract and seducewomen. John Stubbs interprets the film in light of the Jungian con- cept of anima, which refers to the femalewithin the man (Stubbs 2006,57):

The job of the anima maybetoshow what is knowable in the unconscious,but it is also to show us thereismore. This ‘more’ is what Ihavecalled the ‘ineffable’ earlier,and it is perhapsthe most importantaspect of Jung’sappeal for Fellini. It is not necessary to group or understand the ineffable. By definition, that is impossible.But what is importantistoknow that it exists. The mediatrix can offer such assurances.(Stubbs 2006,62–63)

“Mediatrix” is aterm used in Mariologyinreference to Mary in her role as mediator between Jesus Christ and mankind (McBrien 2005,7884). The religious dimension of the “ineffable” is evident in its referencetoatranscendental realm beyond the rep- resentational. AccordingtoJung,the concept of anima is connected universallytothe male existence. Images of the anima appear in dreams in the formofarchetypes de- rivedfrom the collective unconscious. As alreadynoted, Fellini used Jung’ssymbol system as arich fundus for interpretation of the psychic condition of his male pro- tagonists in crisis. In one scene Casanova () passes through the whale’smouth into its belly. The whale symbolizes the vagina,inwhich Casanova is meetingwith

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the collective unconscious.³ The whale motif mayalso be connected, however,with the narrative of the disobedientJonah in the Old Testament. The showmanatthe fun- fair praises the whale: “The great Mouna!The king of the whales.The Leviathan of Jonah.Everybodymay enter.The bellyisstill warm.” Inside the bellyaslideshow displays outsized sketches of the femalesex with, for example, asmall man lying on awomen’slabs,and the vagina with acorona of snakes or in the form of aspiral sucking in small male figures or as afrighteningface. The whale’sbellyisfrightening connotingsexual fantasies. Likewise, Marcello Snaporaz(Marcello Mastroianni), the male protagonist in La città delle donne,issearchingfor his anima on ajourney to the unconscious, but without success. This time the protagonist is not able to find the mediatrix of his anima. The narration mayexpress Fellini’sdifficulties in dealing with the changingcontemporaryworld, as well as with his role as amale in the wake of the social revolution of 1968, and aclear dissociation of feminism, which was difficult to integrate into his male-centered universe (Burke 2003,320 –36). In both films, Fellini mingles Christian symbols with Jung’sarchetypes in an ex- pressive setting composed of sexual dream phantasies. The strategyofconnecting these two belief systems results in apersonal religious worldview typicalofFellini’s late phase. The unconscious is turned into atranscendental power induced by sexual desire and expressed in archetypes.

The End: Looking forRealMiracles in the 1980s Fellini’slate works Ginger eFred (1986)and Intervista (1987, a.k.a. Interview)express an obvious discomfort with television. Fellini questions the new and successful sys- tem of signification located outside the religious or psychological realm, and his final films often, accordingtoBurke, “not onlyexemplifybut dispute postmodernity, especiallythe relative ‘meaningless’ that endless signification seems to imply” (Burke 1996,24). The meaninglessness of is portrayed in Ginger eFred,when an old and formerlysuccessfuldance couple (Giulietta Masina and Marcello Mastroianni) reunitetoperform in aChristmas show.The director of the show is looking for “won- ders” that might touch the audience,like having aclergyman who fell in lovepresent his beloved during the show or awoman is hearing voices from beyond. ’sintent is, however,somewhat different: they want to performtheir dance num- ber despite anumber of possible hurdles – forgettingthe steps and the constraints of their age, for example – as ameansofrecalling their good times. Their achievement is not amiracle that is evidence of apower “somewhereout there,” but neither is their dance simply for the television show.Their performance, an authentic,satisfy- ing,and live experience,isexclusively for themselves.

 The whale is called Mouna, which, according to John Baxterisaterm for “vagina” in the Romag- nola dialect; see Stubbs (, ).

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In asimilar vein, by recallingformer timesinIntervista Fellini makes evident that miracles take place onlyinfilm studios. The film director,again playedbyFellini himself, as in Roma and IClowns,recounts to aJapanese journalist and her team of film reporters adream about filmmaking that is self-evidentlyset in Cinecittà, the largest film studio in Italyand wheremanyofFellini’sfilms were shot.Fellini meets again his screen gods, Marcello Mastroianni and Anita Ekberg –“The first women of the creation!”,asMastroianni had called her in La dolce vita. At the end, after arainstorm, the members of the film crew receive apanettone, atypical Italian cake, and wish each other “Merry Christmas!” as they leave the set.Christian rituals now belong simply to everydaylife, providingashared point of orientation and agroup identity marker. Perhaps as Fellini lost his faith in contemporary society,hefelt increasingly se- cure in his memories of the past.With La voce della luna⁴ (1990,a.k.a. TheVoice of the Moon)Fellini takes leave of the world. Twolunatics,Ivo Salvini and NestoreGon- nello, are confused by and alienated from the behaviors and events of contemporary civilization, such as discotheques,beauty competitions, and the Japanese tourists who whisk around asmall Italian village. At the end Salvini, alone in afield,ad- dresses the moon: “Probably[Or else] Ithink that there was alittle more silence, if everybodywas alittle silent,maybe we’dbeabletounderstand something.” By sticking his head into the well from which he had emergedatthe beginning of the story,hewithdrawsforever to his own universe. Fellini died on , 1993, in Rome. His bodylay in state in studio number 5inCinecittà, wearingthe evening dress that he had worn to the Oscar ceremonyat which he had receivedthe Lifetime Achievement Award (Kezich 2005,589 –615). Manyrepresentativesofthe Roman Catholic Church werepresent at his funeral, to honor the great director.ProbablyPier Paolo Pasolini (1986/87) is right with the fol- lowing comment: “What counts in Fellini is that which endures eternallyand abso- lutelyinhis broadlyCatholic ideology, his loving and sympathetic optimism” (Paso- lini 1986/87, 198). Fellini was born as aRoman Catholic, and he was buried as a Roman Catholic. The circle is complete. This short overviewdemonstrateshow the Italian director’sreligious education and biographical background basically filtered and formed biblical references in his oeuvre. On one hand, his films subvert traditionalinterpretations, conventions, and norms of the biblical narrative.Onthe otherhand,they likewise augment the narra- tive with Felliniesque motifs. But the distinctive aesthetic stillremains within Cath- olic realm, as it conveys acertain affection and fascination for material, visual, and sensualrealization of the Christian worldview.Fellini’sexcessive portrayal of reli- gious dimensionsexposes and repeatedlypenetrates the Church’sinstitutional power and its agents.

 La voce della luna is looselybased on the novel Il Poema dei Lunatici by Ermanno Cavazzoni; see Burke(, ).

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Works Cited

Bondanella, Peter.1992. The Cinema of FedericoFellini. Princeton, N.J.: PrincetonUniversityPress. Burke,Frank. 1996. Fellini’sFilms. From Postwar to Postmodern. New York: Twayne. Burke,Frank, and MargueriteR.Waller,eds. 2002. FedericoFellini: ContemporaryPerspectives. Toronto: UniversityofToronto Press. Cardullo, Bert, ed. 2006. FedericoFellini: Interviews. Jackson, Miss.: University Press of Mississippi. Kezich, Tullio. 2005. FedericoFellini. Eine Biographie. Transl. Sylvia Höfer.Zürich: Diogenes. McBrien, Richard. 2005. “RomanCatholicism.” In Encyclopedia of Religion. Ed.Lindsay Jones. 2nd ed. Vol. 12. Detroit: Macmillan. Pp.7884. Morgenthaler,Christoph. 2002. “Carl Gustav Jung (1875–1961).” In Klassiker der Religionswissenschaft.Von Friedrich Schleiermacher bis MirceaEliade. Ed.A.Michaels. 2nd ed. Munich: C. H. Beck. Pp.234–46. Pamerleau, W. C. 2009. ExistentialistCinema. New York: Palgrave Macmillan. Pasolini, Pier Paolo. 1986/87. “The Catholic Irrationalism of Fellini.” Film Criticism 11.2: 190–200. Pettigrew, Damain, ed. 2003. I’maBornLiar: AFellini Lexicon. New York: HarryN.Abrams. Stubbs, John C. 2006. Fellini as an Auteur: Seven AspectsofHis Films. Carbondale: Southern Illinois UniversityPress. Wiegand, Chris. 2003. FedericoFellini: The Complete Films. Cologne: Taschen.

FilmsCited

8½ (dir.Federico Fellini, 1963, , IT/FR). Amarcord [“IRemember”](dir.Federico Fellini, 1973, F.C. Produzioni, IT/FR). Amore in città [“Love in the City” omnibus project; Un agenzia matrimoniale; “MarriageAgency”] (dir.FedericoFellini, 1953, Faro Film, IT). Block-notes di un regista [a.k.a. ADirector’sNotebook](dir.FedericoFellini, 1969, NBC, IT). Boccaccio70[omnibus project; La tentazione del dottor Antonio,a.k.a. The Temptation of Dr. Antonio](dir.FedericoFellini, 1962, Cieriz, IT/FR). Elanaveva[a.k.a. ](dir.FedericoFellini, 1984, Rai 1, IT/FR). Iclowns [a.k.a. The Clowns](dir.Federico Fellini, 1970,RAI RadiotelevisioneItaliana,IT/FR/DE). Il bidone [“The Swindle”](dir.FedericoFellini, 1955, Titanus, IT/FR). Il casanova di Fellini [a.k.a. Fellini’sCasanova](dir.FedericoFellini, 1976, ProduzioniEuropee Associati, IT/US). Fellini’sSatyricon (dir.Federico Fellini, 1969, Produzioni Europee Associati, IT). Ginger eFred [a.k.a. Ginger and Fred](dir.Federico Fellini, 1986, Produzioni Europee Associati, IT/FR/DE). Giulietta degli spiriti [a.k.a. Juliet of the Spirits](dir.FedericoFellini, 1965, Rizzoli Film, IT/FR). Ivitelloni [a.k.a. The Young and the Passionate](dir.FedericoFellini, 1953, Cité Films, IT/FR). Intervista [a.k.a. Interview](dir.Federico Fellini, 1987,Aljosha, IT). La città delle donne [a.k.a. City of Women](dir.FedericoFellini, 1980,Gaumont, IT/FR). La dolce vita [“The Sweet Life”](dir.FedericoFellini, 1960,RiamaFilm, IT/FR). La strada [“The Road”](dir.Federico Fellini, 1954, Ponti-De Laurentiis,IT). La voce della luna [a.k.a. The Voiceofthe Moon](dir.Federico Fellini, 1990, Cecchi Gori Group Tiger,IT/FR). Le notte di Cabiria [a.k.a. Nights of Cabiria](dir.Federico Fellini, 1957,, IT/FR).

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Lo sceicco bianco [a.k.a. The White Sheikh](dir.Federico Fellini, 1952, OFI, IT). Luci del varietà [a.k.a. Variety Lights](dir.FedericoFellini, 1950,Capitolium,IT). Prova di orchestre [a.k.a. OrchestraRehearsal](dir.FedericoFellini, 1979, Daimo Cinematografica, IT/DE). Roma [a.k.a. Fellini’sRoma](dir.Federico Fellini, 1972, Ulta Film, IT/FR). TrePassi nel delirio [a.k.a. Spiritsofthe Dead,omnibus project; Toby Dammit](dir.Federico Fellini, 1968, Les Films Marceau, FR/IT).

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