I Vitelloni

Warm depiction of five young men in a provincial Italian seaside town. Classic Italian film. This is Fellini at his best.

found it very funny, and local and to the point. gives the view of life in a small italian town.

A film from Fellini that is both accessible and timeless in its treatment of youth/adulthood. And here I must take exception to the review in Halliwell's Film Guide, wherein the author states that the film is purposeless. If the aim of film is to be purposeful, then we may as well scrap most of the cinematic efforts of the last century. This film goes deep into that period of life when man tries to adjust to the very fact that his is a piece of ageing matter that is maybe already half gone, and that one day he will be no more. In other words, he realises that his purpose in life is to survive in a way that he has not experienced before. This film encapsulates this process brilliantly, and the performances that Fellini has elicited from his actors is wonderfully touching, amusing and memorable. None of these actors went on to make a great name for themselves in cinema, and as far as I can make out Fellini's own output was not more than five or six films, but here we have a great piece of work that should be required viewing for all those interested in Italian cinema.

Despite some creaky acting Fellini's little gem about young, listless men in a provincial Italian town, longing to get to Milan or Rome, just as Chekhov's Three Sisters want to get to Moscow, still works the old Fellini magic. Sad, yet funny, these losers trapped in small town existence must surely reflect aspects of Fellini's own early life.

The problem with looking at something that influenced a whole load of good things that follow, is that you expect it to be the best because the it was the first. I think if you like Malena or Cinema Paradiso, or even Stand By Me, you might take the view that Vitelloni establishes some foundations; but you might think what came after was superior. The film describes, in an Italian way, the limits and dangers of life in a small town. Young energetic men face a future with few prospects. There is an atmosphere of of decline and poverty. This gives rise to mischief and even delinquency. There is also much that is charming and funny but the plot dragged a little for me. I won't say what happens but the choice is clear: intelligent people long to leave the small town to take charge of their fate but would have to give up much to do this.