In Diegesis

Is it possible to fault Fellini for 8 ½? Was his most distinguished film an act of betrayal? Was Fellini foreswearing any allegiance he may have owed to honoring his Italian Neo-realist roots? Certainly, diehard neo-realist proponents may argue that Fellini was a traitor, and on the other end of the spectrum, Surrealist advocates and Bunuel acolytes would argue that Fellini’s genius was just naturally evolving, a crucial growth process that happens to any truly great artist. They might say that Fellini was finally falling into his proper stride as a filmmaker, and that Surrealism is a step forward artistically.

Is one mode of thought – say, Neo-realism or Surrealism – greater than the other? What words might comprise a definition of ‘greater’, in this context? What can a movie be, and what should a movie be, assuming that film is most appropriately suitable to one particular style of make?
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