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| censored-03 |
 Posted: Mon Apr 25, 2005 10:23 am |
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Joined: 24 May 2004
Posts: 3058
Location: Gotham, Big Apple, The Naked City
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| I Vitelloni, Fellini's first international hit is a film about ("young overgrown calves") boy-men and their predilection for hanging-out, eating, sleeping and fucking. Fellini's suggestion that there is more to life for a young man than just the "animal" in us all continually orbits this film. |
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| lady wakasa |
| Posted: Mon Apr 25, 2005 10:38 am |
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Joined: 21 May 2004
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Location: Beyond the Blue Horizon
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I watched I Vitelloni last night. My first sense is that while it's very well constructed and shot, it's a good - not a great - film. The technical elements are all in place, but the story seemed pedestrian...
...until looking at one of the extras (or maybe the back of the box), I saw a mention of how this was semiautobiographical and a reflection of Italian provincial life at that time. Then it started to expand beyond a pretty film about some slackers.
I did. however, want to reach in the television a couple of time and slap them around a bit (which is why the responses here will be interesting).
I also thought it was telling that
SPOILERS
no one thought to look for Sandrine at her father-in-law's house. That sounds like a big indication of how big a role class played in ex-urban Italy at that point.
End SPOILERS |
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| Kate |
| Posted: Mon Apr 25, 2005 10:49 am |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
Posts: 1397
Location: Pacific Northwest
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| I have I Vitelloni coming from Netflix, so I will have to wait a day or so to join. I probably shouldn't read anything til after so as not to be influenced. |
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| Marilyn |
| Posted: Mon Apr 25, 2005 10:51 am |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
Posts: 8210
Location: Skokie (not a bad movie, btw)
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| I Vitelloni reminds me a lot of Breaking Away, and I have to wonder if Steve Tesich, the writer of the latter, was influenced by Fellini. |
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| Marilyn |
| Posted: Mon Apr 25, 2005 10:51 am |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
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Location: Skokie (not a bad movie, btw)
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| BTW, Marnie just informed me that he did have dinner with Fellini and his wife. Lucky dog! |
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| Marc |
| Posted: Mon Apr 25, 2005 10:54 am |
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Quote: BTW, Marnie just informed me that he did have dinner with Fellini and his wife.
did he insult Fellini and hit on his wife? |
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| Marilyn |
| Posted: Mon Apr 25, 2005 10:57 am |
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Location: Skokie (not a bad movie, btw)
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| lady wakasa |
| Posted: Mon Apr 25, 2005 11:18 am |
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| marantzo |
| Posted: Mon Apr 25, 2005 12:07 pm |
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| I just heard something that I didn't know, on the radio. Mastroianni is Greek, from Macedonia. |
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| bocce |
| Posted: Mon Apr 25, 2005 2:25 pm |
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Joined: 24 May 2004
Posts: 2428
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I VITELLONI should remind you of BREAKING AWAY, DINER or any of the other coming of age movies made over the last half century since almost all of them owe a nod, at least, to this film.
the opening and closing scenes bracket the transformation from exhuberent fantasy to that stullifying reality: the dreamless sleep of the demoralised and exhausted. the young, irresponsible calves will succumb to a future in which they will either be butchered, yoked and/or be put out to stud. only moraldo will break the tether and then, only briefly, as his (equally autobiographic) re-incarnation as marcello in LA DOLCE VITA finally has to face his own disillusion.
one could almost look at the opening as a danse macabre as the kids cavort, arm in arm, dancing and singing while the "death of youth" silently looms over them. then at the end each is seen "entombed" in his chamber (and by his future) as moraldo's train passes into the night. the intervening story is anchored by these two bookends as rich and fantastically colored prospects fade to shades of grey realities.
fellini, for the most part, is still working within the rather bleak confines of the neo-realist ethos but will shortly change his perspective from the what is "known" undercurrent of rosselini to the what i "see". this is a somewhat subtle shift but is, in fact, a move away from the more polemnic efforts of rosselini and visconti's brand of neo-realism.
we'll see the final break after IL BIDONE... |
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| bocce |
| Posted: Mon Apr 25, 2005 2:31 pm |
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Joined: 24 May 2004
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| i meant to include SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER as the apotheosis of a film that owes it all to I VITELLONI... |
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| lady wakasa |
| Posted: Mon Apr 25, 2005 3:07 pm |
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Joined: 21 May 2004
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Location: Beyond the Blue Horizon
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bocce wrote: the opening and closing scenes bracket the transformation from exhuberent fantasy to that stullifying reality: the dreamless sleep of the demoralised and exhausted. the young, irresponsible calves will succumb to a future in which they will either be butchered, yoked and/or be put out to stud. only moraldo will break the tether and then, only briefly, as his (equally autobiographic) re-incarnation as marcello in LA DOLCE VITA finally has to face his own disillusion.
Yeah, but at least with I Vitelloni were was a choice - and only one of them chose to take it. There is a certain amount of responsibility behind this.
If this is an ongoing story / theme with Fellini, then I'm looking forward to seeing these films. |
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| Ghulam |
| Posted: Mon Apr 25, 2005 3:29 pm |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
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Location: Upstate NY
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| So when do we start discussing I Vitelloni? I should get it from Netflix by Saturday. |
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| bocce |
| Posted: Mon Apr 25, 2005 3:49 pm |
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Joined: 24 May 2004
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lady W...
i think you're missing the point: alberto is hopelessly tied to being a sponge and fausto is inextricably caught in the web of his own deceit. there is NO redemption. they will remain in rimini as flotsam on the otherwise pristine beach of the adriatic. |
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| Rod |
| Posted: Mon Apr 25, 2005 10:24 pm |
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Location: Lithgow, Australia
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Marilyn wrote: I Vitelloni reminds me a lot of Breaking Away, and I have to wonder if Steve Tesich, the writer of the latter, was influenced by Fellini.
Considering Dennis Christopher's character had nicknamed the family dog Fellini I'd say it's a good bet.
I Viteleoni was also a powerful influnece on Scorsese's early works Who's That Knocking At My Door and Mean Streets. |
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