Fellini's Use of Humor Towards The Catholic Church, and A Review of 8 1/2's Criticism

Originally hailing from Rimini, a small town off the coast of the Adriatic sea of Italy, Fellini's upbringing and Catholic schooling made him detest the strict religion. The disturbing discipline shows up as an influence to much of his work, like in the beach narrative of 8 1/2. A young Guido, the main character of the film, goes to the beach after school, where he and his friends pay the sluggish harem dancer, Saraghina, Lira to dance for them. In front of the camera she becomes a humorous tease. Wearing a two-size-too-small dress, Saraghina flirts with the camera and the boys, making sexually suggestive winks and dancing like a prostitute after school. The scene is Fellini's humorous joust to the discipline of the church.
Much of the film's criticism comes because of its autobiographical nature. These critics thought the film was not of universal interest. Other critics found 8 1/2 to be deliberately inarticulate. They found Guido's different experiences not to be meaningful, but rather a result of a confused mind which hadn't reached to explain itself. Others found the film inconsiderable, as it had no significance to social issues of the the time. Of course, all this criticism comes cardinally from commentators at the time of the feature's release in 1963. Now in 2010, it is well-known by many filmmakers as one of the best feature films of the surrealistic genre of all time.