Federico Fellini's 8½, is a film about an accomplished director who struggles with getting the production of his 9th feature film off the ground and his philandering ways. In the film, Guido, while trying to direct his 9th feature, is a man in free-fall. He is completely indecisive about his film, and deals with the crushing weight of pressure from everyone around him. His various liaisons, his wife, his producer, and his crew, all bearing down on him, trying to get him to make a choice during this time.
In retrospect, Fellini tells us all we need to know about Guido's position in the film from the first sequence. Trapped in a car, unable to get out and suffocated by his own smoke, he is surrounded by hundreds of other cars on the roadway which rest unmoving. These cars are driven by the people in his life, who stare at his car as he tries to free himself.
In the end, the film's title becomes evident as Guido Anselmi (Marcello Mastroianni) walks away with 8½ films under his belt instead of 9.
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