Fellini discusses his views of making motion pictures and his unorthodox procedures. He seeks inspiration in various out of the way places. During this film viewers go with him to the Colisseum at night, on a subway ride past Roman ruins, to the Appian Way, to a slaughterhouse, and on a visit to Marcello Mastroianni's house. Fellini also is seen in his own office interviewing a series of unusual characters seeking work or his help.

An elderly gangster just released from prison plans one last job, and gathers a small crew to do the job, but the plan goes sour when one of the crew betrays the details of the operation to a rival gangster.

Two friends from America come together by chance in the Italian countryside. They decide to meet in Rome after both have done private deals. When one then not show up in Rome starts the other one become suspicious and fearful that something has happened to him. He begins to investigate the case himself and ends up in a spiral of industrial espionage, blackmail, and cold-blooded murder ...

A young woman from the Italian countryside experiences the dark side of the business after she moves to Rome to become a star.

Middle-aged Giulietta grows suspicious of her husband, Giorgio, when his behavior grows increasingly questionable. One night when Giorgio initiates a seance amongst his friends, Giulietta gets in touch with spirits and learns more about herself and her painful past. Slightly skeptical, but intrigued, she visits a mystic who gives her more information -- and nudges her toward the realization that her husband is indeed a philanderer.

The life of Antonio suddenly changes when she meets Serena, a young nun who took the veil to escape the hard life of the country and has chosen the provision of assistance to the sick to get out of the convent, which falls in love, moving from the role of seducer to that of seduced.

A young man who lives on scams and deceptions manages to convince a wealthy industrialist who has come from the province to finance a film. Having received an adequate advance, he begins to lead an expensive life among luxury cars and beautiful women.

In Venice in 1943, a group of partisans led by Renato Braschi organize a series of autonomous terrorist attacks against the fascists while the National Liberation Committee urges caution. Renato is determined to carry out his ideas, risking his own life, and not only that...

Guido Anselmi, a film director, finds himself creatively barren at the peak of his career. Urged by his doctors to rest, Anselmi heads for a luxurious resort, but a sorry group gathers—his producer, staff, actors, wife, mistress, and relatives—each one begging him to get on with the show. In retreat from their dependency, he fantasizes about past women and dreams of his childhood.

Episodic journey of journalist Marcello who struggles to find his place in the world, torn between the allure of Rome's elite social scene and the stifling domesticity offered by his girlfriend, all the while searching for a way to become a serious writer.