Il bidone

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Il Bidone
Original Theatrical Poster
Directed by	Federico Fellini
Produced by	Mario Derecchi
Written by	Federico Fellini, Ennio Flaiano, Tullio Pinelli
Starring	Broderick Crawford, Giulietta Masina, Richard Basehart
Music by	Nino Rota
Cinematography	Otello Martelli
Editing by	Mario Serandrei, Giuseppe Vari
Distributed by	Titanus Distribuzione
Release date(s)	September 9, 1955 (Italy)
Running time	109 min.
Language	Italian
IMDb profile

Il bidone (The Swindlers) is a 1955 film by Federico Fellini starring Giulietta Masina and Broderick Crawford.

Released one year after the director's more well-known and internationally successful La strada, Il bidone continues with many of the same socially-concious, neorealist-inspired themes while minimizing the poetic realism and extravagent vitality that is nowawadays suggested by the term "felliniesque" in favour of a more pointed political stance. In this sense, the title refers as much to the Italian government and Catholic Church, as it does to its con-men characters.

In terms of story, Il bidone is somewhat of a parable, as it follows the exploits of a group of swindlers, focusing on their aging leader Augusto, as they go about their "business", reaping both rewards and consequences. It is highly episodic, with scenes of various swindles (such dressing up as clergy to cheat an old woman out of her money, or pretending to be government workers to pull a con amongst the poor and homeless) followed by scenes of their aftermath (standouts being: an exceptionally-edited New Years party, and a final roadside, desert scene).

[edit] External links

Il bidone at the Internet Movie Database
Rotten Tomatoes Page

Federico Fellini
Variety Lights (1950) • The White Sheik (1951) • I Vitelloni (1953) • L'Amore in Città (1953) • La Strada (1954) • Il bidone (1955) • Nights of Cabiria (1957) • La Dolce Vita (1960) • Boccaccio '70 (1962) • 8½ (1963) • Juliet of the Spirits (1965) • Satyricon (1969) • I Clowns (1970) • Roma (1972) • Amarcord (1973) • Fellini's Casanova (1976) • Prova d'orchestra (1979) • City of Women (1980) • And the Ship Sails On (1983) • Ginger and Fred (1986) • Intervista (1987) • La voce della luna (1990)

Federico Fellini

Variety Lights (1950) • The White Sheik (1951) • I Vitelloni (1953) • L'Amore in Città (1953) • La Strada (1954) • Il bidone (1955) • Nights of Cabiria (1957) • La Dolce Vita (1960) • Boccaccio '70 (1962) • 8½ (1963) • Juliet of the Spirits (1965) • Satyricon (1969) • I Clowns (1970) • Roma (1972) • Amarcord (1973) • Fellini's Casanova (1976) • Prova d'orchestra (1979) • City of Women (1980) • And the Ship Sails On (1983) • Ginger and Fred (1986) • Intervista (1987) • La voce della luna (1990)