I Vitelloni (Federico Fellini, 1953)
A Vitellone is an italian way of saying "eternal student." Not the academic student, but the wandering student who doesn't leave his parent's home, won't get a job, and lives his life each day for the sake of pleasure. In Freudian terms, vitellone's are 30 something id's that have sacrificed their superego. If there is pleasure, nothing else matters. If there is responsibility, it is largely ignored. However, there is something relatable and likeable about this - a soul adrift in a sea of transition between purpose and meaning, responsibility and freedom. With "I Vitelloni," Federico Fellini displays these wandering souls and constructs another heartbrakingly beautiful movie.
5 drifters in a small Italian town near the beach do what all teenage boys do - they talk about women, go to parties, and stay out at all hours before crawling into bed (in their parent's home). However, these 5 drifters are not teenagers - they are all grown men. They are in their late 20's, early 30's looking for meaning and purpose in the region they grew up in since birth. Their world is altered when one of them finds out he got his girlfriend pregnant (who is also the sister of one of his best friends), and thus must marry her. After a failed escape attempt, he marries and gets a job. Responsibility is now forced upon him and he must transition to being an adult provider from being a child who plays without boundary. The responsibility is agonizing to him, and nothing changes in his personal life. He still constantly looks for other women to hook up with, and gets caught up in a scheme revolving around his job. I won't say more than that, other than each character has a bit of a subplot that Fellini gives care and attention to equally.
The movie is above all strikingly relevant today because the theme of "purpose" is one all can relate to. I'd go as far as to say that nearly every college male about to graduate would be shocked at how much they see themselves in these characters. They all refuse to grow up and accept the responsibility of life and the maturity that comes with age. There is one exception in the group of guys, who happens to be an autobiographical depiction of Fellini.
The movie is pure Fellini, moreso the neorealist "La Strada" Fellini than the nightmarish and surreal "Juliet of the Spirits" Fellini. It features many of his familiar thumbprints - a carnival is held, great camerawork is on display, and rich and vibrant characters populate the world of the Vitellone's. Particularly moving was a scene that found all of the characters on the edge of a dock on the beach contemplating jumping into the water for money.
The one flaw I found was the ending sequence seemed rushed. However, the rest of the movie was perfect. It is authentic and timeless in its principles of human nature. I particularly think that it is a must see for males. I Vitelloni is at the top of my list of favorite Fellini movies, right next to Nights of Cabiria. Were it not for my qualms about the ending, it would easily be my favorite.
A Vitellone is an italian way of saying "eternal student." Not the academic student, but the wandering student who doesn't leave his parent's home, won't get a job, and lives his life each day for the sake of pleasure. In Freudian terms, vitellone's are 30 something id's that have sacrificed their superego. If there is pleasure, nothing else matters. If there is responsibility, it is largely ignored. However, there is something relatable and likeable about this - a soul adrift in a sea of transition between purpose and meaning, responsibility and freedom. With "I Vitelloni," Federico Fellini displays these wandering souls and constructs another heartbrakingly beautiful movie.
5 drifters in a small Italian town near the beach do what all teenage boys do - they talk about women, go to parties, and stay out at all hours before crawling into bed (in their parent's home). However, these 5 drifters are not teenagers - they are all grown men. They are in their late 20's, early 30's looking for meaning and purpose in the region they grew up in since birth. Their world is altered when one of them finds out he got his girlfriend pregnant (who is also the sister of one of his best friends), and thus must marry her. After a failed escape attempt, he marries and gets a job. Responsibility is now forced upon him and he must transition to being an adult provider from being a child who plays without boundary. The responsibility is agonizing to him, and nothing changes in his personal life. He still constantly looks for other women to hook up with, and gets caught up in a scheme revolving around his job. I won't say more than that, other than each character has a bit of a subplot that Fellini gives care and attention to equally.
The movie is above all strikingly relevant today because the theme of "purpose" is one all can relate to. I'd go as far as to say that nearly every college male about to graduate would be shocked at how much they see themselves in these characters. They all refuse to grow up and accept the responsibility of life and the maturity that comes with age. There is one exception in the group of guys, who happens to be an autobiographical depiction of Fellini.
The movie is pure Fellini, moreso the neorealist "La Strada" Fellini than the nightmarish and surreal "Juliet of the Spirits" Fellini. It features many of his familiar thumbprints - a carnival is held, great camerawork is on display, and rich and vibrant characters populate the world of the Vitellone's. Particularly moving was a scene that found all of the characters on the edge of a dock on the beach contemplating jumping into the water for money.
The one flaw I found was the ending sequence seemed rushed. However, the rest of the movie was perfect. It is authentic and timeless in its principles of human nature. I particularly think that it is a must see for males. I Vitelloni is at the top of my list of favorite Fellini movies, right next to Nights of Cabiria. Were it not for my qualms about the ending, it would easily be my favorite.
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