And the Ship Sails On

PG

Released Sep 10, 1983

2h 8m

Comedy

List

82%

Tomatometer

11 Reviews

82%

Audience Score

2,500+ Ratings

In 1914, a cruise ship sets sail from Naples to spread the ashes of beloved opera singer Edmea Tetua (Janet Suzman) near Erimo, the isle of her birth. During the voyage, the eclectic array of passengers discovers a group of Serbian refugees aboard the vessel. Peace and camaraderie abound until the ship is descended upon by an Austrian flagship. The Serbians are forced to board it, but naturally they resist, igniting a skirmish that ends in destruction.

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Vincent Canby

New York Times

[The film] is to most movies what the Folies-Bergere was to the theater, a celebration of spectacle, even when it exists only for its own sake.

Rated: 3.5/5

May 20, 2003

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Dave Kehr

Chicago Reader

Obviously, it isn't the intellectual content that's meant to carry the picture, but even Fellini's elaborate visuals seem timid and uninspired this time around.

Jan 1, 2000

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Nick Bornoff

Japan Times

During two hours and 10 minutes of consummate Fellini cinema, one has been taken for a ride.

Feb 10, 2023

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David Sterritt

Christian Science Monitor

In the end, 'And the Ship Sails On' is a cruise to nowhere - diverting, but a bit dull.

Jun 12, 2013

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Ken Hanke

Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)

For a movie that revels in its very artificiality, And the Ship Sails On possesses an astonishing emotional resonance in its last scenes.

Rated: 4.5/5

Sep 22, 2009

Full Review

Dennis Schwartz

Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews

Veers from the tedious to the fascinating.

Rated: B-

Feb 27, 2009

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Audience Member

With slight hesitation, I submit a 4-star review for this late work by Fellini, resisting a nagging urge to detract half a star on account of lengthy stretches wherein we feel ourselves adrift in admittedly beautiful yet strangely challenging material. In the end, I am sufficiently wowed by the sheer imagination, originality, and poignant elegance of this work to concede it as one of the last exquisite films of Fellini's long and storied career. Underpinnings of tenderness interspersed with quietly effective solemnity inform the tone of the film, achingly realized through numerous passages of DeBussy's Clair de Lune combined with an ongoing paean to the greatness of opera. At the same time, the film is so content to inhabit its state of quirky elegance that it elicits little more to engage us, and we inevitably find our minds restless and wandering. Regardless of the film's drawbacks, one can't deny the ingenuity of its conception as well as the resonance of its final impact; the ship will surely sail on in our memories after each cherished viewing.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/14/23

Full Review

andres s

Fellini always has a great sense of humor present in his movies. I love it. It's got this silly and physical slap stick type of humor to it. Even quirky and offbeat - the way the actors look directly into the camera at times to give a certain look. Omg I love how it faded into color once the ashes of the lady were brought onboard onto the ship. Beautifully seamless. Fellini is the master. A very interesting and uncommon time period that Fellini chose for his movie. You really don't get to see it that often - and even more so in color! The restoration of this movie is impeccable. The colors are beautiful and the image quality is crystal clear. It looks stunning. This movie has an aesthetic and loo to it unlike anything I've ever seen in a movie. The color palette is incredibly rich and lavish. Just like in great Fellini fashion, he fills the screen with quirky and eccentric characters. I love how the way they all interact with one another. I can't really tell if they're actually filming on a big cruise ship, and maybe that's part of the magic, but either way it looks amazing. The upper deck with the sun and the moon present, the hallway corridor with all the rooms. It's all very pleasant to look at and I find myself getting lost in the world that Fellini has created. I love how they keep playing Debussy's "Clair de Lune" throughout the movie. The movie took an interesting turn when the Serbian refugees were rescued and made their way on board the ship. It's interesting because now we get to see how these aristocrats are going to react to their presence on board. Will they act with disgust, with humility, or any sort of consideration towards them? I love how Violet, the lady that's Reginald's mistress, takes out a platter full of food out to the refugees. Wow, that battleship looked insane! It just looked like a straight up tank. A metal box lol. His set designs are incredible. He really is like a wizard/magician - the way he creates the worlds within his movies. In a way this movie serves as a political and war statement as well. That was amazing how they showed the behind the scenes production of the movie at the end. Seamless panning shot. I thought the movie was very charming and funny overall. I'd watch it again.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

Full Review

Audience Member

The picture is worth watching

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

01/25/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Federico Fellini's 1984 film "And the Ship Sails On" involves the story of famous individuals attending a funeral aboard a luxury ship headed to the island of Erimo to spread the ashes of Italian opera singer Edmea Tetua. It takes place in 1914 right before the war began. The story is told to us by the journalist covering the funeral, Orlando (Freddie Jones), he talks directly to the camera and tells the audience everything about the people attending, even juicy little gossip. The cast is a colorful bunch including a Russian using his voice to hypnotize a chicken, a singer transforming his room into a shrine to Edmea, a man who claims he is a medium and invites the guests to his cabin to speak to the dead Edmea and a fat Prussian duke with a sister who sees colors when people sing or speak. The third day involves the arrival of Serbian when the ship rescues them. After the arrival of the Serbians who sleep on the decks in large numbers, the ship starts to look like an immigrant ship headed to America with a first class section and dining hall they are not allowed to enter. After dancing and music that involved the guests dancing along with the Serbians, an Austrian ship demands that the Serbians be turned over. But the Prussian Duke secures the ship's passage to the island to perform their rites. The characters make this a fun movie, but it's Fellini's direction and the cinematography from Giusseppe Rotunno that make this film work. The ending is absolute chaos, though.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/15/23

Full Review

Audience Member

With a gorgeous cinematography and production design, this is probably the most stunning Fellini film while also a work that offers a smart social commentary - until it goes insane in the last fifteen minutes, losing any direction and evidencing the artificiality of the story as a film.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/14/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Fellini seems to be a divisive character amongst my film group, but I've got to say his films have been right up there among my favourites during my first year of watching the Criterion Collection in order. I had no idea what to expect from this movie, but essentially it's set on a cruise ship at the dawn of the first world war, populated by all Europe's greatest opera singers taking a colleague's ashes to their final resting place; some politicking German aristocrats; a (very topical these days) boatload of Serbian refugees; and a lovesick rhinoceros. When I say I don't think I've ever seen a film which would make a better scenario for a freeform roleplaying game, I mean it as the highest compliment; the fact that it's also a work of art, and in four or five scenes actually laugh-out-loud funny is just a massive bonus.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/18/23

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Federico Fellini

Director

Freddie Jones

Orlando

Barbara Jefford

Ildebranda Cuffari

Victor Poletti

Aureliano Fuciletto

Janet Suzman

Edmea Tetua

Peter Cellier

Sir Reginald J. Dongby

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Synopsis

In 1914, a cruise ship sets sail from Naples to spread the ashes of beloved opera singer Edmea Tetua (Janet Suzman) near Erimo, the isle of her birth. During the voyage, the eclectic array of passengers discovers a group of Serbian refugees aboard the vessel. Peace and camaraderie abound until the ship is descended upon by an Austrian flagship. The Serbians are forced to board it, but naturally they resist, igniting a skirmish that ends in destruction.

Director: Federico Fellini
Screenwriter: Tonino Guerra
Production Co: Gaumont
Rating: PG
Genre: Comedy
Original Language: Italian
Release Date (Theaters): Sep 10, 1983, Original
Release Date (DVD): Sep 14, 1999
Runtime: 2h 8m