And the Ship Sails On (1983)

Although it has its amusing moments, in eneral the plot does not convince.

Simple and well acted, it has tension enough to knot the stomach.

It really made me laugh, but for some moments I was tearing up because I could relate so much.

Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

By all means it is not of Fellini's finest, Nights of Cabiria, La Dolce Vita, 8 1/2, Amarcord and La Strada involved and moved me more. However along with Ginger and Fred(my personal favourite of that particular part of Fellini's career), When the Ship Sails On it is one of Fellini's better later films after Amarcord. The visuals as to expect from Fellini are simply gorgeous in both photography and scenery. The music is both beautiful and quirky. While Fellini's direction is more restrained than usual, there is still the distinctive style that made his films so wonderful. The story has some nostalgia, some surrealistic beauty and some impish humour, all three of which blend superbly and are interesting individually. The sudden arrival of Balkan refugees does have an emotional impact. If there was a weak point it was the acting, Freddie Jones as always is excellent but the rest are uneven ranging from decent to poor. The dubbing also has moments of sloppiness. Overall, a fine film and while not one of my favourites of the later Fellinis it does stand out as one of the better ones. 9/10 Bethany Cox

Fellini is for people who drink excessive amounts of coffee. (And if you're sitting there saying, "I drink coffee but not excessive amounts of it", you're deluding yourself.) Fellini is for people who would like to make the world a better place, but they don't know how, so they just avoid it and concern themselves with the absurdity of life. And drink more coffee.When watching Fellini films I am infected with a violent desire to throw popcorn at the screen and quote Bruno Kirby from _When Harry Met Sally_ in the scene where he's frustrated at Sally's inability to convey her ideas while playing a game of Pictionary: "Draw SOMETHING resembling ANYTHING!!!"

Music and color, passion and lucidity, tragedy and comedy. Yes, all of them and some more are contained in this masterpiece! From the one of the most originals beginnings in the film history to some pure perfection moments, this movie does not disappoint. Bare in mind this is a FELINNI movie, so your `normal' perception of a movie should be altered to a more `felinnian' way… I have to say that this movie would stay in my memory long before those `Hollywood blockbuster' movies would be forgotten! There is one complain I have to make: the dubbing of some of the characters! I really don't know what Felinni had in mind, but sometimes is really annoying their pronunciation!! I give this movie 9 out 10!!! If you want food for your soul watch this one PLUS `Juliet of the spirits'!!!

Federico Fellini might be the most talented genius when it comes to how to end a film; almost every single work of his I have seen finishes with an emotional conclusion accompanied by a great picture. And the Ship Sails On is no exception: the splendid ending sequence shows a separation, a romance, a catastrophe accompanied by overly expressive operatic music, an inserted picture of the studio where the film was made, and a humor in the closing shot. Despite the great ending, however, overall the film looks dated--more precisely, it might have already appeared to be dated in 1983, when it was released. Towards the twilight of his film-making career, Fellini might have reached an area of his own too unique aesthetics; consequently, his works might not have been synchronized with the era (though I admit this statement may be biased with my knowledge in the American 80s).