Amarcord (1973)

Amarcord: Directed by Federico Fellini. With Pupella Maggio, Armando Brancia, Magali Noël, Ciccio Ingrassia. A series of comedic and nostalgic vignettes set in a 1930s Italian coastal town.

“When u0026quot;Amarcordu0026quot; had itu0026#39;s American premier at the Plaza Theatre on East 58th Street in New York, I was working as the manager of The Paris Theatre, also on 58th Street, just 2 blocks west, behind Bergdorfu0026#39;s and facing the front of the Plaza Hotel.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eBoth theatres were part of the Cinema-5 circuit of first-run theatres in Manhattan. I often took advantage of the pass privileges that theatres extend to one another and always attended every other theatre in the city to sample their fare.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eAs I often worked as u0026#39;reliefu0026#39; manager of The Plaza, I was well known to the the crew there and had easy access to that theatre at all times. When I first sat through u0026quot;Amarcordu0026quot; during itu0026#39;s opening, I realized that I had just seen u0026quot;THE Finest Film Ever Madeu0026quot;. When I told this to others, I was often scoffed at. I was told that the u0026#39;Finest Filmu0026#39; hadnu0026#39;t been made yet. That was until the scoffers saw the film for themselves. Every friend I brought to The Plaza to see u0026quot;Amarcordu0026quot; was as enchanted with the film as I was.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eDuring itu0026#39;s opening run at the Plaza Theatre in 1974, I must have seen the film at least 50 times. I next saw u0026quot;Amarcordu0026quot; at an art house in another city in 1980. Yes, it was still the best film. In the 6 years since itu0026#39;s USA premier I canu0026#39;t say I saw any film better than u0026quot;Amarcord.u0026quot; u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThen, when it was at long last released on videotape in the 1990u0026#39;s, I purchased the tape. When I watched the tape I wept. Yes, it was STILL the finest film ever made. I DO think the world of u0026quot;Nights of Cabiriau0026quot;, u0026quot;La Stradau0026quot;, u0026quot;La Dolce Vitau0026quot; and u0026quot;8 1/2u0026quot;. But u0026quot;Amarcordu0026quot; is more than just Felliniu0026#39;s greatest work. It is greater than ANY other film, made by any other person or group of persons. I know now, 27 years after I first saw this film, that I will certainly say, 27 years in the future: This is THE film that no film-maker can top.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003e..In my humble opinion, of course….”