The Clowns

Federico Fellini explores his lifelong fascination with the circus and the art of clowning. The film blends childhood memories of a visiting circus with a journey through Italy and France to find the last great European clowns. Through interviews and observations, it examines the contrast between grace and madness, concluding with a parade that serves as an allegory for death. Along the way, the director encounters Anita Ekberg during an attempt to purchase a panther.

Directed by Federico Fellini, this production was created for Italian television. It is the 15th of 20 films he directed, following Satyricon and preceding Roma. The screenplay was written by Fellini and Bernardino Zapponi. The cast includes Riccardo Billi, Gigi Reder, Tino Scotti, Valentini, Fanfulla, and Merli as clowns, among 62 credited performers.

The film received generally positive reception from viewers and critics. It holds a 7/10 rating on IMDb based on 3,300 votes and a 6.8/10 rating on TMDB from 102 votes. Film critics provided a similar assessment with a rating of 6.9/10 from 19 reviews.