301 CINEMA the EBB and FLOW of FAMILIES in FELLINI's I VITELLONI TONIA CATERINA RIVIELLO Santa Clara University to My Mother A
Anno XXXV, n. 1 RIVISTA DI STUDI ITALIANI Aprile 2017 Tutti i diritti riservati. © 1983 Rivista di Studi Italiani ISSN 1916-5412 Rivista di Studi Italiani (Toronto, Canada, in versione cartacea fino al 2004, online dal 2005) CINEMA THE EBB AND FLOW OF FAMILIES IN FELLINI’S I VITELLONI TONIA CATERINA RIVIELLO Santa Clara University To my mother Antonia Who admired Giulietta and Federico Fellini. She was born, Like the Maestro, In the fortunate winter of 1920. She has dedicated her life To the Catholic Church, The family and friends, The neglected and orphans of the world . he film I Vitelloni (1953), directed by Federico Fellini, focuses on a group of young men who are lingering in a state of youthful Tirresponsibility. In the film’s first half, vague dreams, minor ploys, and predictions predominate, whereas the second half brings real-world concerns, personal struggles and enlightenment, which leads toward the dissolution of the group. The preoccupations of these young men are indicative of an idealistic view of life as well as the anticipation of mature age. We believe that the vitelloni are trying to discover how many of their dreams the post-war era will allow them to fulfill. At first glance, they may appear indolent and not very ambitious about their futures ‒ their ages ranging from about 20 to 30. In fact, we see them trying to earn money: Leopoldo by writing plays, Riccardo by being a host and singer, and Fausto by working in a shop. The group and their families act as one grand family. The film is a microcosm of Italian society in the 1950s where young people face uncertain employment.
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