Overview
A whimsical journey through a small Italian town during the rise of Fascism, capturing the absurdity of life.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Mild
- nostalgic
- surreal
- ribald
- film club night
- italian cinema night
What critics said
Critics broadly regard Fellini's colorful, surreal, and emotionally generous village portrait as a major achievement that balances ribald comedy, sentiment, and historical memory.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The film presents a year of loosely connected vignettes centered on Titta and the townspeople, evoking remembered rather than strictly documented experience.
The townsfolk, sexual fantasies, school rituals, Catholic authority, and Fascist displays are rendered as both ridiculous and deeply recognizable.
Titta's confessions, fantasies, attraction to Gradisca, and encounter with the tobacconist make burgeoning sexuality a recurring strand.
Spring bonfires, snowfall, the marine spectacle, annual racing, and other recurring civic events organize the year as public theater.
Films like Amarcord, and why
The Last Picture Show
shared nostalgic coming-of-age perspective, episodic small-town life, and bittersweet comic humanism
The Exterminating Angel
shared surrealist visual imagination, theatrical ensemble of eccentric citizens, and mingled comedy and melancholy
Cinema Paradiso
shared autobiographical memory, provincial community portrait, and lyrical passage through youth and history
The Tin Drum
shared dreamlike period spectacle, ribald humor, and critique of social conformity
Movie Details
- Director
- Federico Fellini
- Release Date
- 1973-12-18
- Runtime
- 123 min
- Rating
- 7.9 / 10 (1248)
Cast
- Pupella Maggio
- Armando Brancia
- Magali Noël
- Ciccio Ingrassia
- Nando Orfei
- Luigi Rossi
- Bruno Zanin
- Gianfilippo Carcano
- Josiane Tanzilli
- Maria Antonietta Beluzzi
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- HBO Max Amazon Channel, YouTube TV, TCM, HBO Max
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Amarcord about?
- A flamboyant, affectionate memory of adolescence and communal absurdity unfolds across one year in a Fascist-era Italian seaside town.
- What is Amarcord like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Amarcord as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Amarcord violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Amarcord as mild.
- What did critics think of Amarcord?
- Critics broadly regard Fellini's colorful, surreal, and emotionally generous village portrait as a major achievement that balances ribald comedy, sentiment, and historical memory.
- Which films are like Amarcord?
- Films with a similar feel include The Last Picture Show, The Exterminating Angel, Cinema Paradiso, and The Tin Drum.
- How long is Amarcord?
- Amarcord runs 123 minutes.
- Where can I watch Amarcord?
- In United States, Amarcord streams on HBO Max Amazon Channel, YouTube TV, TCM, HBO Max.
