I Vitelloni (1953) by Fellini

Italian. 101 Minutes. Directed by Federico Fellini. Beautiful music score by Nino Rota.  Starring Franco Fabrizi (1926-1995), Alberto Sordi (1920-2003), Franco Interlenghi (1931 - )

Fellini's comedy-drama about a group of five slacker best friends in a post WWII Italian town.  The title translates into "good-for-nothings".  In America, these guys might be called "bums", or even "mama's boys". They are healthy young men, and have no excuse not to look for a job. They just lack ambition. When one character does find a job, he gets fired soon afterward due to his misbehavior. So they continue to walk the streets, shoot pool, and pretty much waste time.   A song by The Dave Matthews Band came to my mind after seeing this film, "Wasting Time".

The men in the movie are old enough to have served in the war, but there is no mention of WW2 in this film. I Vitelloni is often called a "neo-realist" film, but there is debate about that. Films usually considered neo-realist are usually grittier (Open City, The Bicycle Thief ), have more of a political message, and are not as off-beat as I Vitelloni. .

The characters are all interesting.

There is a playwright character, Leopoldo (Leopoldo Trieste), who dreams his plays will one day get noticed. In one sequence, he meets an actor he admires and who expresses great interest in his work. You'll have to see the movie to find out what happens next.

Fellini cast his own brother Riccardo Fellini as another member of the group. (Riccardo resembles his brother, actually) In one scene, Riccardo expresses his dissatisfaction with his town by calling it "a rat hole". His character is not full developed, and we know the least about him. However, I don't think this is a major flaw of the film.

The character with the most screen time is the character of Fausto, a real ladies' man. He's played by the actor Franco Fabrizi . Even when married (and with a child to support) he still can't give up his womanizing.

Many filmmakers were inspired by this film. Some of Woody Allen's characters can be found in the men of I Vitorelli, such as Leopoldo (and his encounter with the director) and Fausto, who has been compared to Judah in Crimes and Misdemeanors.  George Lucas also loved this film; the episodic storytelling and hijinks of the immature characters influenced his American Graffiti. And the opening narration where the characters are introduced is just like how Martin Scorsese opened Goodfellas

I think Fellini's own personality can be found in several of these characters. Certainly the writer Leopoldo. Maybe a little of the womanizing of Fausto, who has a conscience in the form of his best friend Moraldo (Franco Interlenghi). I think Moraldo is Fellini. Both despise the hypocrisy and laziness of those around him, and both have bigger dreams somewhere else, in another town (Fellini loved Rome, of course)

There is another minor character a young boy who befriends Moraldo named Guido. Could this be the Guido who grows up to be the character in 8-1/2? An interesting thought. One of the last shots of the film shows him walking on a train rail into the distance, and it sort of reminded me of the end of a Chaplin film.

Though the film doesn't discuss the war, there are a few elements that remind us that the film takes place in post war Italy. First of all, the poor economic conditions. Also, the characters in the film talk about Esther Williams, Ginger Rogers, and other American movie stars. This was a period where Italians were enjoying American films for the first time in years because such films were not brought into Italy under Mussolini.

Other than some of these elements, I think the human nature of I Vitelloni is timeless, and this story could really take place in any decade, even in modern times. As mentioned previously, It's almost a statement (Fellini's statement) against the lack of ambition of these characters, and Fellini (a real life go-getter) is sort of critical of it. The Moraldo character represents this. However, it does make you think about families in general as well.

In American society these days, if a young man in his 20s or 30s is single and lives in the basement of his parent's house, that raises a "red flag" among some single women. They're laughed at. Single women want a "real man". But in some cultures, living with your family is perfectly acceptable.

There's a great scene in I Vitelloni where Alberto Sordi's sister storms out of the house and leaves town, and Sordi is left to be the sole caretaker for his aging mother. Without a job, he is faced with the reality that he needs to find work - and put down the bottle. Scenes like this show that these characters have heart, and are devoted to their families (Although Fausto remains questionable). Additionally, religious characters for the most part are treated with reverence and respect in this film (Fellini is a bit more critical of the Roman Catholic church in his later films).

This is a fascinating movie, filled with emotional dramatic moments, balanced with humor and comedic touches that are very funny. (Available on DVD/Netflix).