Overview
A poignant exploration of youth and the crossroads of life in a small Italian town.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- None
- witty
- melancholic
- nostalgic
- quiet evening
- classic cinema night
What critics said
Critics broadly praised Fellini's fresh, humane, and poetic observation of provincial life despite an episodic structure and occasional unevenness.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The five friends drift through idle evenings while confronting marriage, work, responsibility, and the consequences of their choices.
The film moves through a series of incidents and emotional situations involving the five young men, a structure noted by contemporary critics.
Its black-and-white depiction of provincial Italian life combines authentic social observation with Fellini's lyrical atmosphere.
The young men's idleness and social entanglements unfold in a small Italian town whose streets and routines define their world.
Films like I Vitelloni, and why
The Bicycle Thieves
shared italian neorealist observation, provincial setting, youthful aimlessness, and bittersweet maturity
The 400 Blows
shared ensemble portrait of stalled young adults, social satire, and melancholic coming of age
The Last Picture Show
shared episodic structure, comic sadness, male friendship, and resistance to adult responsibility
Movie Details
- Director
- Federico Fellini
- Release Date
- 1953-09-17
- Runtime
- 103 min
- Rating
- 7.7 / 10 (759)
Cast
- Franco Interlenghi
- Alberto Sordi
- Franco Fabrizi
- Leopoldo Trieste
- Riccardo Fellini
- Leonora Ruffo
- Jean Brochard
- Claude Farell
- Carlo Romano
- Enrico Viarisio
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- HBO Max Amazon Channel, HBO Max
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is I Vitelloni about?
- Five drifting friends confront the uncomfortable demands of adulthood in Fellini’s tender, sharply observed portrait of postwar provincial Italy.
- What is I Vitelloni like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of I Vitelloni as measured, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as layered.
- Is I Vitelloni violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in I Vitelloni.
- What did critics think of I Vitelloni?
- Critics broadly praised Fellini's fresh, humane, and poetic observation of provincial life despite an episodic structure and occasional unevenness.
- Which films are like I Vitelloni?
- Films with a similar feel include The Bicycle Thieves, The 400 Blows, and The Last Picture Show.
- How long is I Vitelloni?
- I Vitelloni runs 103 minutes.
- Where can I watch I Vitelloni?
- In United States, I Vitelloni streams on HBO Max Amazon Channel, HBO Max.
