I first saw I VITELLONI in my university days in 1981. On a recent visit to London, I found a compilation of neorealist films going at an inviting price and bought it. I am glad I did, if for no other reason because I have enjoyed watching I VITELLONI far more this time. The fact that I am now 27 years older might have helped this change in perception but I put it down principally to the sheer quality of the direction, acting, and the superb psychological insight into a time of defeat in a nation long known for its multifaceted greatness. And there are touches of the surreal, particularly in the Carnival segment, that announce the later Fellini, one I like a little bit less despite producing awesome works such as AMARCORD.
The characters are keenly observed, none better than the married man who cannot keep away from other women and the two brothers whose sisters fall for men they know to be worthless. One of those sisters leaves town in the company of a man who seems a criminal, the other stays in town with a husband who seems to have mended his ways... but does one ever mend one's ways? The latter's brother, Moraldo, leaves town in the end for an uncertain future that at least will take him from local limitations but he hardly seems equipped to deal with life in Milan or Rome. One final delight: The chiaroscuro photography is outstanding in its ability to convey mood. A well deserved 10 out of 10!
The characters are keenly observed, none better than the married man who cannot keep away from other women and the two brothers whose sisters fall for men they know to be worthless. One of those sisters leaves town in the company of a man who seems a criminal, the other stays in town with a husband who seems to have mended his ways... but does one ever mend one's ways? The latter's brother, Moraldo, leaves town in the end for an uncertain future that at least will take him from local limitations but he hardly seems equipped to deal with life in Milan or Rome. One final delight: The chiaroscuro photography is outstanding in its ability to convey mood. A well deserved 10 out of 10!