IL BIDONE

Italy, 1955, 109 minutes, Black and white.
Broderick Crawford, Giulietta Masina, Richard Basehart, Franco Fabrizi, Sue Ellen Blake.
Directed by Federico Fellini.

Il Bidone is the story of a gangster played by Oscar-winner (All the King’s Men) Broderick Crawford. He has two assistants played by Franco Fabrizi who wants to be the Italian Johnny Ray, and Richard Basehart, an artist who wants to be Picasso and has that as his nickname. The gangster enjoys the good life but encounters his daughter who is in need. He performs a swindle in order to get money for her – to his own detriment because of the attack by his associates.

The daughter is played by Giulietta Masina, Fellini’s wife for fifty years. She was also star of his striking films La Strada, The Nights of Cabiria, Juliet of the Spirits, Ginger and Fred.

Fellini began directing films in 1950. He made La Strada in 1954 and Nights of Cabiria in 1957 with Il Bidone in between. Both films won the Oscar for best foreign language film. He was to win again in 1963 for his masterpiece, 8½. He won yet again in 1973 for Amarcord.

Il Bidone is a significant film in the development of Fellini’s career.

1. How enjoyable was this film? Was it meant to be? Was it meant to be a slice of life with a serious theme?

2. How impressive a study of gangsters? Why? As an example of Italian film-making? Early Fellini? What were the most impressive features (has the film much in common with Fellini’s later films?)

3. How did the film illustrate the gangsters' life? mainly by incidents? By characterisation? Both?

4. How important for this film were its theme and treatment, the black and white photography? The use of authentic Italian locations? The detail of location. of action and of characters? the reliance on Italian customs and atmosphere?

5. What was the response to the confidence trick? The initial swindle? The religious overtones, disguising as clergy, the way it was filmed, the credulity of the people, their greed? The exploitation of religion and greed? The implications of this con trick and its insight into simple people’s weaknesses? Audience emotional reaction to this swindle?

6. The reaction to the swindle of the slum dwellers? The credulity of the slum dwellers? Their needs and poverty? Callousness of the swindlers?

7. Augusto - was he a sympathetic character? How much of a leader of the other two? His capacity for confidence tricksterism? His dreams of the big deal? Yet he always remained a petty criminal? His hold over others? His background? Wife and daughter? The capacities for love? His lack of fulfilment?

8. How effective were the scenes between Augusto and daughter? The change in him? The impact of his arrest and Patricia’s seeing it? His going to prison? His future confidence tricks for Patricia? His return to his tricks? The same callousness and yet his love for his daughter? The loneliness and isolation of his death and its meaninglessness?

9. Did the film investigate the character of Picasso well? His lack of decision? His personal style? Hie relationship with his wife and her influence on him? Which sequences best illustrated his character? His role in the confidence tricks? His role in the New Year's party? Why did he change?

10. The exploration of Roberto? His style in the confidence tricks? His drifting away from the group?

11. How did the film show Augusto relating to the new group? With the same trick? How moved was he by the crippled girl? How moved were audiences? Was this a trick of the director in tricking the audience? - he kept the money?

12. How well presented visually was the isolated death of Augusto? The people passing by, the terrain, Augusto’s pain, his aloneness etc.?

13. What final impression of the swindler’s life did the film give?

14. How important were details for Fellini - within the tricks, the presentation of Iris and Picasso at home, the New Year’s party and the style of people there, the behaviour, Patricia and Augusto’s seeing one another and the arrest?

15. What insight into Italy and Italians did this film give even in its incidentals?

16. What stance, did the film take on life, its meaning, ambitions, ideals, conscience, responsibility, good and evil, the role of society on individuals, pressures?