Peter Bondanella

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Peter Bondanella 35 Peter Bondanella LA PRESENZA DI FELLINI NEL CINEMA CONTEMPORANEO: CONSIDERAZIONI PRELIMINARI PETER BONDANELLA Valutare l’impatto di Federico sa tematica in modi magari popolare dopo il successo del Fellini sul cinema mondiale molto diversi. film), ma lucertoloni. appena una decade dopo la Come lucertole, i perdigiorno sua morte non può certamente provinciali della Wertmüller condurre a conclusioni defini- Il cinema di Fellini come arrostiscono al sole sulle me- tive, visto che il raggio della magazzino di facce, immagini taforiche pietre della loro pic- sua influenza sulle cinema- e sequenze: Martin Scorsese, cola città, e, come il Moraldo tografie o sui registi di altre Lina Wertmüller, Peter di Fellini, l’unico vitellone che nazioni nonché quella sulla Greenaway, Giuseppe sembra capace di scuotersi dal pop-culture, sulla pubblicità e Tornatore, Joel Schumacher suo provinciale letargo, Anto- sul folklore comincia a chia- e Bob Fosse. nio (Antonio Petruzzi) si con- rirsi nettamente solo adesso. fronta con Roma in una breve Tenterò dunque di illustrare L’analisi dell’impatto dei visita, durante la quale accom- alcuni dei più importanti e film di Fellini su specifiche pagna due zie nella capitale. interessanti esempi della sua sequenze o situazioni di film, Una volta tornato a casa, influenza su differenti tipi rivela che un insieme di regi- l’energia che questi sembrava di cinema e su registi molto sti piuttosto differenti fra loro assorbire dalla Città Eterna diversi, appartenenti ad altre ha reso omaggio all’opera di svanisce di giorno in giorno e cinematografie nazionali. È Fellini. Antonio finisce per rimandare inutile dire che le mie osserva- Cronologicamente, il primo senza fine la sua partenza dal- zioni mirano solo ad aprire un successo commerciale di Felli- la città natale. dibattito e non vogliono per- ni è stato I vitelloni (1953), la Ingiustamente considerato dai tanto essere esaustive. storia dolce-amara di cinque critici più ostili un semplice Si deve notare che esistono tre fannulloni provinciali che si remake dei Vitelloni, I basili- tipi di influenza, molto diversi rifiutano di crescere, in una schi in realtà offre un’inter- l’uno dall’altro. Prima di tutto piccola città di mare abba- pretazione politica della pro- Fellini ha fornito ad altri regi- stanza simile a Rimini (anche vincia italiana che il modello sti immagini ed intere sequen- se il film non fu girato nella felliniano non sembra aver ze, utilizzate poi però in visio- città natale di Fellini). mai suggerito. Le sequenze di ni artistiche molto differenti Il meraviglioso ritratto satiri- apertura del film, che ritrag- da quella felliniana. co di questi bambini troppo gono tutti i paesani, inclusi i In secondo luogo, in America cresciuti che vivono a casa con membri locali del partito co- Fellini è stato certamente i loro genitori, senza mai cer- munista, addormentati al sole, fonte di ispirazione per tanto carsi un vero lavoro e dunque come le lucertole del titolo, musical di Broadway. entrare nell’età adulta, trovò potrebbero essere state tolte Infine, aspetto molto impor- una prima risposta in Italia da un’antologia dei primi film tante, alcuni registi si sono con I basilischi di Lina Wert- felliniani. richiamati alla riflessione me- müller (1963). Si tratta di un Eppure nel film si trova un tacinematografica di Fellini film ambientato nell’Italia me- nuovo punto di vista, una pro- sulla natura della creatività ridionale che ci descrive non spettiva che già suggerisce il nell’arte, il cui sviluppo più vitelloni (parola non usata fre- femminismo e la politicizza- appariscente si può trovare in quentemente al di fuori della zione delle future opere della 8½ (1963), per trattare la stes- regione di Fellini e divenuta regista. Peter Bondanella 36 La voce narrante è femminile gli adolescenti di Fellini, cre- vecchi noir hollywoodiani con e i personaggi più forti del sciuti negli anni cinquanta, Glenn Ford. film sono quelli femminili: si mancano del lato violento, I quattro amici di Scorsese veda il vivace ritratto della dell’irriverenza, della rabbia, sono presentati più o meno donna eccentricamente vesti- dell’immoralità e della conti- nello stesso modo che Fellini ta che arriva in paese con una guità con il mondo del crimine aveva usato nei Vitelloni per cinepresa e alla guida di una propria degli abitanti della descrivere i suoi cinque ado- macchina sportiva, insulta il Little Italy di Scorsese. rabili fannulloni. In vignette potente proprietario terriero La visione nostalgica della successive dopo che la voce ex-fascista (questo dovrebbe propria giovinezza da parte di fuori campo e le inquadratu- essere un comico autoritratto Fellini non conosce inoltre il re hanno mostrato l’annuale della stessa Lina). Altrettanto marchio di quel cattolicesimo Festa di San Gennaro a Little interessante è il personaggio italo-americano e più in par- Italy (un evento che riecheg- della dottoressa i cui genitori ticolare di quel senso di colpa gia il concorso di bellezza del erano semplici braccianti o cattolico, che segna il film film di Fellini), ogni personag- quello dell’anziana donna che di Scorsese, evidenziandolo gio è introdotto velocemente si suicida cinque anni dopo la come l’opera d’arte prodotta e abilmente attraverso una morte del marito. da qualcuno che ha studiato singola azione che definisce Queste forti figure femminili in seminario e ha seriamente il suo carattere (o la sua man- stanno in diretto contrasto pensato di diventare prete. canza di carattere): Tony getta con le immagini degli uomini In aggiunta a tutto questo, fuori dal suo locale un tossico della città che giocano infinite non c’è niente del cinéphile che si drogava nella toilette; partite a carte chiacchierando nel lavoro di Fellini. Il cinema Michael, sempre a caccia del senza costrutto. felliniano è più influenzato colpo grosso, compra un muc- L’immagine dell’Italia di pro- dalla cultura popolare italia- chio di copri-lenti giapponesi vincia data dalla Wertmüller na (dal varietà, dai fumetti, che scambia per molto più è molto più oscura di quella nonché dal fantastico mondo costose lenti tedesche; John- felliniana, visto che include la onirico dell’autore stesso) che ny Boy fa saltare in aria con lotta di classe, le memorie ne- dalla storia del cinema. dei petardi una cassetta della gative del fascismo, la depres- In ogni caso, entrambi i film si posta, senza alcuna apparente sione economica, ma il film di valgono di una voce fuori cam- ragione; Charlie si confessa Fellini ha ispirato comunque po che commenta l’azione e ci in chiesa e poi stringe fra gli esordi di una delle più sono pochi dubbi che Scorsese le mani una candela votiva, brillanti autrici satiriche del abbia imparato questa tec- un’azione che ripete più volte cinema italiano. nica di mischiare la voce del nel corso del film. Secondo l’eloquente testimo- regista e dei personaggi da Da un punto di vista mera- nianza di Martin Scorsese, Fellini: non solo dai Vitelloni, mente cinematografico, il film contenuta nel suo documen- ma anche da Roma (1972) e da di Scorsese riflette la classica tario di quattro ore Il mio Amarcord (1973). ottica di un cinefilo, cosa che viaggio in Italia (2002), Mean Scorsese, in Mean Streets, era in qualche modo estranea Streets deve la struttura della sottolinea il suo debito con il alla mentalità di Fellini. Per trama e alcuni importanti ele- cinema mandando i suoi pro- esempio, è caratteristico l’uso menti narrativi ai Vitelloni. tagonisti, ogni volta che questi da parte di Scorsese di inqua- Entrambe le opere sono quel- abbiano un po’ di tempo libe- drature molto mobili e ade- lo che i critici americani defi- ro, a vedere esattamente quel renti ai personaggi: spesso la nirebbero coming of age films, genere di opere che erano camera a mano si oppone alla e cioè “film di formazione”. preferite dagli appassionati tradizionale ripresa col carrel- Il capolavoro di Fellini segue di cinema durante quell’età lo, seguendo il personaggio a cinque fannulloni in giro per d’oro della cultura cinefila: gli distanza ravvicinata come se la loro città di provincia sulla horror di Roger Corman con si identificasse nel suo punto costiera adriatica. Tuttavia Vincent Price, i western e i di vista. Ciò potrebbe essere 37 Peter Bondanella dovuto non soltanto al basso dell’auto guidata da Michael accenni che Scorsese fa sul- budget del film con il quale il che spara alla macchina dove l’opera di Fellini nel suo docu- regista era costretto a lavora- si trovano Charlie, Johnny mentario sul cinema italiano, re, ma anche perché Scorsese Boy e Theresa. Mean Streets indicano che il regista ha si ispirava allo stile di uno finisce violentemente e quasi appreso un’importante lezione dei suoi registi preferiti: Sam senza spiegazioni sul perché da film come La strada (1954) Fuller. Michael e il suo complice, o Le notti di Cabiria (1957), Esattamente come accadeva Scorsese, sparano non solo a nei quali i concetti religiosi nell’originale felliniano, che, Johnny Boy, ma anche agli al- vengono impiegati nell’ambito pur dando “l’impressione” tri due amici. di una cornice secolare, grosso dell’Adriatico, era invece gira- Anche se Mean Streets rivisto modo come Scorsese ha fatto, to sull’altra costa della peni- a trent’anni dalla sua prima abbastanza felicemente, in sola, Scorsese fece in modo di apparizione rivela alcune mi- Mean Streets. ricostruire “l’impressione” di nori imperfezioni, si può già Pochi film sono evidentemen- New York anche se la maggior scorgere lo stile maturo di te indebitati verso il primo parte di Mean Streets fu girato Scorsese, quello di capolavori cinema di Fellini quanto Mean in ventuno giorni a Los Ange- come Taxi Driver e Good Fellas. Streets, che prende in prestito les, con solo sei giorni di ripre- Se da un lato la visione della da I vitelloni una nuova nozio- se nella vera New York City.
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