''And the Ship Sails On'' () is a 1983 Italian film directed and co-written by

Federico Fellini Federico Fellini (; 20 January 1920 – 31 October 1993) was an Italian film director and screenwriter. He is known for his distinctive style, which blends fantasy and baroque images with earthiness. He is recognized as one of the greatest and ...

. It depicts the events on board a luxury liner filled with the friends of a deceased opera singer who have gathered to mourn her. The film was selected as the Italian entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the

56th Academy Awards The 56th Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), honored the best films of 1983 and took place on April 9, 1984, at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles, beginning at 6:00 p.m ...

, but was not accepted as a nominee.

Plot

The film opens depicting a scene in July 1914 immediately prior to the cruise ship ''Gloria N.'' setting sail from

Naples Naples ( ; ; ) is the Regions of Italy, regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 908,082 within the city's administrative limits as of 2025, while its Metropolitan City of N ...

Harbor. The opening sequence is in sepia tones, as if it were a film shot in that era, with no sound other than the whirring of the projector. Gradually the sepia fades into full colour and we can hear the characters’ dialogue. Orlando, an Italian journalist, supplies commentary by directly addressing the camera, explaining to the viewer that the cruise is a funeral voyage to disperse the ashes of opera singer Edmea Tetua near the island of Erimo, her birthplace. Considered the greatest singer of all time, Tetua is celebrated for her goddess-like voice. The bumbling but lovable journalist also provides highly subjective anecdotes and gossip on the wide array of cartoon characters that evoke the golden age of the "funny papers" (''

Little Nemo Little Nemo is a fictional character created by American cartoonist Winsor McCay. He originated in an early comic strip by McCay, '' Dream of the Rarebit Fiend'', before receiving his own spin-off series, ''Little Nemo in Slumberland''. The ful ...

Bringing Up Father ''Bringing Up Father'' is an American comic strip created by cartoonist George McManus. Distributed by King Features Syndicate, it ran for 87 years, from January 2, 1913, to May 28, 2000. The strip was later titled ''Jiggs and Maggie'' (or '' ...

The Katzenjammer Kids ''The Katzenjammer Kids'' is an American comic strip created by Rudolph Dirks in 1897 and later drawn by Harold Knerr for 35 years (1914 to 1949).hypnotizes a chicken. A curly-cued actor travels with his mother in order to seduce sailors. Sir Reginald Dongby, a voyeuristic English aristocrat, relishes spying on Lady Violet, his nymphomaniac wife. The Grand Duke of Harzock, a Prussian, is an obese bubble of a young man whose blind sister (the

Tanztheater The German Tanztheater ("dance theatre") grew out of German Expressionist dance in Weimar Germany and 1920s Vienna, and experienced a resurgence in the 1970s. History The term first appears around 1927 to identify a particular style of dance ...

performer and choreographer

Pina Bausch Philippine "Pina" Bausch (27 July 1940 – 30 June 2009) was a German dancer and choreographer who was a significant contributor to a neo-expressionist dance tradition now known as . Bausch's approach was noted for a stylised blend of dance move ...

) schemes with her lover, the prime minister, to disinherit her brother. The brooding Count of Bassano closets himself in his cabin transformed into a temple dedicated to the diva's memory. An awful stench rises from the ship's hold and soon it's revealed that a love-sick rhinoceros has been neglected by the ship's crew. The beast is pulled up, washed on deck, and returned to the hold with fresh water and hay. On the third day of the voyage, the passengers discover a crowd of shipwrecked Serbians camped on the deck of the ship. Fleeing in rafts towards Italy after the assassination at Sarajevo, the refugees were brought on board the previous night by the captain. The Grand Duke and his men, however, are convinced the Serbians are terrorists and order the captain to isolate the group to a corner of the ship. The upshot is Fellini's barely disguised take on the

Marx Brothers The Marx Brothers were an American family comedy act known for their anarchic humor, rapid-fire wordplay, and visual gags. They achieved success in vaudeville, on Broadway, and in 14 motion pictures. The core group consisted of brothers Chi ...

's '' A Night at the Opera'' in a heady mix of cultures, both ethnic and artistic, where aristocrats and snobs joyfully share the stage (the ship's deck) with peasants and vibrant Serbian folklore (as choreographed by Leonetta Bentivoglio). But the revels end when the menacing flagship of the Austro-Hungarian fleet sails into view, demanding the return of the Serbian refugees. The captain agrees on condition that Edmea Tetua's ashes be dispersed at Erimo beforehand. After the ceremony, the refugees are loaded into a lifeboat for delivery to the Austrians but a young Serbian hurls a bomb at the flagship, causing pandemonium. The Austrians respond by cannon fire. The ''Gloria N.'' sinks while Albertini wields his baton, aristocrats march to the lifeboats, a grand piano slides across the floor smashing mirrors, and butterflies twitter serenely above the melee of suitcases in flooded corridors. In a reverse

tracking shot In cinematography, a tracking shot is any shot where the camera follows backward, forward or moves alongside the subject being recorded. Mostly the camera’s position is parallel to the character, creating a sideway motion, tracking the chara ...

, Fellini reveals the stupendous behind-the-scenes of his floating opera of a movie - giant hydraulic jacks (constructed by Oscar-winning set designer,

Dante Ferretti Dante Ferretti (; born 26 February 1943) is an Italian production designer, art director, and costume designer. Biography Throughout his career, Ferretti has worked with many acclaimed directors, both American and Italian, including Pier Paol ...

) that created the ship's rolling sea movements, along with acres of plastic ocean, an army of technicians burning naphthalene for the smoke of disaster effect, and, finally, an enigmatic figure that may be Orlando or Fellini intentionally hiding behind his own camera filming the main camera filming himself. The main camera then tracks forward to a final shot of Orlando in a lifeboat with the rhinoceros happily munching on hay. "Did you know," confides Orlando, "that a rhinoceros gives very good milk?" Laughing, he once again mans the oars to disappear on a vast plastic ocean.

Cast

Freddie Jones Frederick Charles Jones''Births, Marriages & Deaths Index of England & Wales, 1916-2005.''; at ancestry.com (12 September 1927 – 9 July 2019) was an English actor who had an extensive career in television, theatre and cinema productions for ...

as Orlando *

Barbara Jefford Barbara Mary Jefford, OBE (26 July 1930 – 12 September 2020) was a British actress, best known for her theatrical performances with the Royal Shakespeare Company, the Old Vic and the National Theatre and her role as Molly Bloom in the 1967 ...

as Ildebranda Cuffari *Victor Poletti as Aureliano Fuciletto *

Peter Cellier Peter Cellier (born 12 July 1928) is an English actor who has appeared on film, stage and television. He is known for his role as Sir Frank Gordon in ''Yes Minister'' and then '' Yes, Prime Minister'' in the 1980s. Early life Cellier was born ...

as Sir Reginald Dongby *

Elisa Mainardi Elisa Mainardi (27 July 1930 – 8 May 2016) was an Italian stage, film, and television actress. Life and career Born in Rome, Mainardi studied at the acting school of Peter Sharoff, and debuted on stage in 1956, in Ottavio Spadaro's ''Corruz ...

as Teresa Valegnani *

Norma West Norma West (born 19 November 1943) is a British actress, Born in Cape Town, South Africa, her best known television appearance was as Queen Elizabeth of York in the BBC series '' The Shadow of the Tower'' (1972). She played the part of Number ...

as Lady Violet Dongby *

Paolo Paoloni Paolo Paoloni (24 July 1929 – 9 January 2019) was an Italian actor. Biography A close friend of director Luciano Salce, Paoloni is best known for portraying the role of the Galactic Mega-director in the '' Fantozzi'' film saga. Despite bein ...

as Master Albertini *Sarah-Jane Varley as Dorotea *Fiorenzo Serra as The Grand Duke *

as The Princess * Pasquale Zito as Count Bassano *Linda Polan as Ines Ruffo Saltini *

Philip Locke Roy James "Philip" Locke (29 March 192819 April 2004) was an English actor who had roles in film and television. He is perhaps best known for his part in the James Bond film '' Thunderball'' as Largo's personal assistant and chief henchman, Var ...

as Prime Minister *

Jonathan Cecil Jonathan Hugh Gascoyne-Cecil (22 February 1939 – 22 September 2011), known as Jonathan Cecil, was an English actor. Early life Cecil was born on 22 February 1939,''Burke's Peerage'', vol. 3 (London: Burke's Peerage Limited, 2003), p. 350 ...

as Ricotin *

Maurice Barrier Maurice Barrier (8 June 1932 – 12 April 2020) was a French actor and singer. Biography Barrier was the son of a cabinetmaker and had his first job working in his father's workshop. While living in Rennes at age 28, he met several resident actor ...

as Ilya Ziloev * Fred Williams as Sabatino Lepori *

Elizabeth Kaza Elizabeth or Elisabeth may refer to: People * Elizabeth (given name), a female given name (including people with that name) * Empress Elisabeth (disambiguation), lists various empresses named ''Elisabeth'' or ''Elizabeth'' * Princess Elizabeth ( ...

Colin Higgins Colin Higgins (28 July 1941 – 5 August 1988) was an Australian-American screenwriter, actor, director, and producer. He was best known for writing the screenplay for the 1971 film '' Harold and Maude'', and for directing the films '' Foul Play ...

as Police chief * Vittorio Zarfati as Second Master Rubetti * Umberto Zuanelli as First Master Rubetti * Claudio Ciocca as Second officer * Antonio Vezza as The Captain * Alessandro Partexano as Official *

Domenico Pertica Domenico is an Italian language, Italian given name for males and may refer to: People * Domenico Alfani, Italian painter * Domenico Allegri, Italian composer * Domenico Alvaro, Italian mobster * Domenico Ambrogi, Italian painter * Domenico Auri ...

as Pastor * Christian Fremont *Marielle Duvelle * Helen Stirling *

Janet Suzman Dame Janet Suzman (born 9 February 1939) is a South African-born British actress who had a successful early career in the Royal Shakespeare Company, later replaying many Shakespearean roles on television. In her first film, '' Nicholas and Alexa ...

as Edmea Tetua :''The singers:'' * Mara Zampieri as Ildebranda Cuffari *

Elizabeth Norberg Schulz Elizabeth Norberg-Schulz (born 27 January 1959) is a Norwegian-Italian operatic soprano. Early life and education Elizabeth Norberg-Schulz is the daughter of Norwegian architectural theorist Christian Norberg-Schulz, and Italian translator and ...

as Ines Ruffo Saltini *

Nucci Condò Nucci is an Italian surname. Notable people with the surname include: *Avanzino Nucci (Citta di Castello, 1552–1629), Italian painter *Benedetto Nucci (Cagli, 1515–1587), Italian painter *Carlo Alberto Nucci, Italian academic *Colette Nucci (1 ...

as Teresa Valegnani *

Giovanni Bavaglio Giovanni may refer to: * Giovanni (name), an Italian male given name and surname * Giovanni (meteorology), a Web interface for users to analyze NASA's gridded data * ''Don Giovanni'', a 1787 opera by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, based on the legend of ...

as Fuciletto * Carlo Di Giacomo as Sabatino Lepori * Boris Carmeli as Ilya Ziloev :''The Serbs:'' *

as 1st Soprano * Bernadette Lucarini as 2nd Soprano * Bruno Beccaria as Tenor :''Other performers:'' *

Umberto Barone Umberto is a masculine Italian given name. It is the Italian form of Humbert. People with the name include: * King Umberto I of Italy (1844–1900) * King Umberto II of Italy (1904–1983) * Prince Umberto, Count of Salemi (1889–1918) * Umberto I ...

as Scala *Monica Bertolotti * Danika La Loggia * Roberto Caporali as Dorotea's father * Franca Maresa as Dorotea's mother * Savatore Calabrese as Banker * Johna Mancini as Superintendent's secretary * Filippo Degara * Francesco Scali * Cecilia Cerocchi as Superintendent's wife * Pietro Fumelli *

Franco Angrisano Franco Angrisano (10 May 1926 – 20 September 1996) was an Italian actor. He appeared in more than seventy films. Life and career Born in Potenza, Angrisano was mainly active on stage, where he often worked with Eduardo De Filippo Eduardo De ...

as The cook *

Ugo Fangareggi Ugo Fangareggi (30 January 1938 – 20 October 2017) was an Italian actor. Life and career Born in Genoa, Fangareggi worked as a dental technician when in 1961 he was noticed by Luigi Squarzina who chose him to act in the play ''Ciascuno a suo ...

as The bartender

Reception

Critical response

Screened out of competition at the 40th Venice Film Festival, the film received a fifteen-minute standing ovation. The film has an 82% approval rating on

Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review aggregator, review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee ...

, based on 11 reviews with an average rating of 6.8/10. Writing for the Italian weekly magazine ''

L'Espresso () is an Italian progressive weekly news magazine. It is one of the two most prominent Italian weeklies; the other is the conservative magazine . Since 2022, it has been published by BFC Media. From 7 August 2016 to 10 September 2023, it was ...

'', novelist and film critic

Alberto Moravia Alberto Pincherle (; 28 November 1907 – 26 September 1990), known by his pseudonym Alberto Moravia ( , ), was an Italian novelist and journalist. His novels explored matters of modern sexuality, social alienation and existentialism. Moravia i ...

saw the film as an intuitive critique of European society that preceded the First World War. "What is brilliant," explained Moravia, "is the intuition that European society of the ''Belle Epoque'' had emptied itself of all humanism leaving only an artificial and exhaustive formalism. The result was a society founded on a continuous yet contemptible melodrama. The other genial intuition is that of the fundamental unity of the world back then which was completely bourgeois or utterly obsessed with the bourgeoisie. This idea comes through magnificently in the scene where immaculate opera singers perform leaning over the iron balcony of the engine room as sweat-grimed workers cease stoking the furnace with coal to listen to the splendid voices." The film ranked 7th on Cahiers du Cinéma's Top 10 Films of the Year List in 1984.

References

Bibliography

* Burke, Frank, and Marguerite R. Waller (2003). ''Federico Fellini: Contemporary Perspectives''. Toronto: University of Toronto Press.

External links

* *
''And the Ship Sails On''
an essay by Federico Fellini at the

Criterion Collection The Criterion Collection, Inc. (or simply Criterion) is an American home-video distribution company that focuses on licensing, restoring and distributing "important classic and contemporary films". A "sister company" of arthouse film distributo ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:And The Ship Sails On 1983 films 1983 comedy films Films set in the Mediterranean Sea Films set in 1914 Films directed by Federico Fellini 1980s Italian-language films Italian satirical films Films set in Italy Films with screenplays by Federico Fellini Films with screenplays by Tonino Guerra Films set on ships 1980s Italian films