Amarcord (1973)

A poignantly genuine look at the experiences of childhood and the progression of juvenile life, Amarcord stands as a wonderfully chaotic and sexually charged perspective of nostalgia. In the backdrop behind the light comedy, however, Fascist Italy looms over the town of Rimini. The fascism enforces a militaristic uniformity that reveals an underlying political decay. It is a stark reminder of reality, a contradiction of the circus-like performance of the town. Rather than structured as a straight-forward narrative, Fellini structures Amarcord in a more episodic nature. Through this structure, Fellini emphasizes childhood as a complex and diegetic experience. Children in this movie are selfish and vulgar, indulgent and chaotic, and even still, jovial and innocent. The ending is a confrontation of adulthood, a transition spurred on by the death of a mother and the marriage that dispels romantic fantasy.