I vitelloni
"We are the hollow men in this last of meeting places we grope together and avoid speech. Gathered on this beach of the torrid river."
I Vitelloni - Characters & Cast
Character Analysis
Fausto
FrancoFabrizi
Motivation
Self-gratification and avoidance of consequence.
Character Arc
ForcedtomarrySandraafterimpregnatingher, hecontinuallycheatsandavoidsresponsibilityuntilhisfatherpubliclybeatshim, forcingamomentarysubmissiontodomesticlife[1.1].
Alberto
Alberto Sordi
Motivation
Maintaining his comfortable, carefree existence without working.
Character Arc
A dramatic mama's boy who mocks working people but is financially supported by his sister; he is devastated when she finally elopes, leaving him to face reality.
Leopoldo
Leopoldo Trieste
Motivation
Literary fame and artistic validation.
Character Arc
An aspiring playwright who views himself as the town's resident intellectual, but whose dreams are shattered when a visiting actor he idolizes turns out to be a predator.
Moraldo
Franco Interlenghi
Motivation
Seeking a deeper meaning to life beyond the town's borders.
Character Arc
He spends the film quietly observing his friends' failures and his sister's heartbreak. He is the only one who undergoes true character development, finally finding the courage to leave town.