MovieChat Forums > To Rome with Love (2012) Discussion > The White Shiek

The White Shiek

posted 12 years ago by Saint-3
9 replies | jump to latest

I was quite amused by Woody's take on Fellini's The White Shiek. Did anyone else spot that, and did you think he did justice to the original? For my part, I enjoyed it enormously!

[–] mb-98 12 years ago

I couldn't believe that none of the reviewers and critics I read had commented on the fact that one of the stories is a total remake of Fellini's "The White Sheik."

After the movie was over, I looked for an acknowledgement in the end credits to Antonioni, Fellini, Pinelli and Flaiano (who are the credited screenwriters on "Sheik") but there was none!

Allen has remade 8 1/2 ("Stardust Memories") as well as that Bergman pastiche "Interiors." But I'm afraid that in this case, his "hommage" borders on plagiarism.

It was a fun movie, anyway... (except for the Baldwin/Eissenberg story).

[–] Saint-3 12 years ago

Woody always aknowledges his "homages", and he has done quiet a bit of them. For example, Deconstructing Harry is a comedic look at Bergman's Wild Srawberries... anyway loved the movie, hope he keeps at it!

[–] TheDelusionist 12 years ago

Uh, love Interiors, notice that the film was shot by the same cinematographer that did Antonioni's Red Desert, you can definitely feel the same aesthetic!

Mavis, I'm a married man!

[–] xm1 12 years ago

Pleased that someone else on this miserable board recognizes a Fellini connection with this movie.

[–] akeshishian17969 12 years ago

This is from a recent interview to publicise To Rome With Love:

Allen also sought inspiration from older films, with one in particular. "One of the films that I was thinking of was one of my favorite Fellini films, The White Sheik," Allen offers. Suggesting that he was subconsciously borrowing from films from the Italian masters, he says, "I love the film so much, that stuff creeps into your pores and you do it without even knowing you’re doing it"

http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/woody-allen-talks-the-inspirati on-of-italian-cinema-for-to-rome-with-love-20120621

(Of course, you can take all that subconscious stuff with a grain of salt. I'm sure it was a very deliberate homage.)

[–] movieghoul 12 years ago

The Roberto Benigni story with its vapid celebrity theme relfects La Dolce Vita, which Allen had also used for his film Celebrity.

And the multiple story lines pays homage to many such Italian films from ther 50s and 60s.

[–] marga73 12 years ago

I realised very quickly the "Lo schieco bianco" homage but I think the difference between homage and plagiarism is very thin here...

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[–] TheDelusionist 12 years ago

Came here to say the same thing. I am a fan of Fellini and I love his movie The White Sheik so it was great to see him pay homage to it!

Mavis, I'm a married man!

[–] rosewood-6 12 years ago

I am glad to see a positive post on this movie. I really liked it- did remind me of Fellini and bit of Bunuel too.