I Vitelloni (1953)

I vitelloni
Directed by Federico Fellini
Written by Federico Fellini, Ennio Flaiano and Tullio Pinelli
1953/Italy/France
Cité Films/Peg-Films
Repeat viewing/Netflix rental

[box] Sergio Natali: He who cares not for art, cares not for life.[/box]

This early Fellini film about a group of slackers in small town Italy seems to presage the reminisces of Amarcord.

The story is an episodic look at incidents from the daily life of a group of life-long buddies.  Most of them are around thirty, live with their parents, and avoid work or responsibility as much as possible.  We see the action through the eyes of Moraldo who is some years younger yet more mature than the others.

The thread that holds the plot together is the exploits of Fausto, a ladies’ man.  He gets Moraldo’s sister Sandra pregnant and is eventually forced to marry her.  This does not curb his wandering eye in the least.  The couple lives with her parents and he finally gets a job with his father-in-law’s friend.  One of his first moves is to try to seduce his boss’s wife.

We also follow the efforts of an aspiring playwright (Leopoldo Trieste) in the group and the story of hard partier Alberto (Alberto Sordi), whose sister’s affair with a married man is a severe trial to himself and his mother.

Fellini is becoming Fellini in this movie.  If you share his sense of humor (or mine), this is a funny and enjoyable watch.  It is also quite interesting visually.  Only downside was I kept wishing something terrible would happen to Fausto and was disappointed.

I Vitelloni was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Writing, Story and Screenplay – Written Directly for the Screen.

Trailer