Federico Fellini's explores the life and lies of a group of con men in Il bidone (which means "the swindle"). The film opens with the conmen tricking some poor farmers out of some money through an elaborate scheme and then celebrate in a wild party with booze and women. The film is a morality tale in some regards. One man's wife leaves him when he can't stop lying to her about what he does. Another has a crisis of conscience when faced with optimism and humility that a poor young girl has. But rather than be preachy or lecturing, Fellini tones the film down. centering this film within the Italian neorealism movement similar to La Strada. The film then emphasizes the struggle of the common men and women in poverty through a simple poeticism in the language and visual aesthetic. The film is enjoyable to watch; like most conmen movies, the swindlers here are engaging and entertaining to watch. Their individual arcs are compelling and emotional, but still they are frustrating. The women in this movie are raised up as paragons of virtue and righteousness. I know Fellini meant it to be a positive thing, but it feels condescending now in 2020. Like all men are broken who need women to set them right.
Il bidone runs just under two hours and I enjoyed the film. I found the ending to be particularly powerful and ironic. The extended party scene felt like a precursor for La Dolce Vita, where you wonder if anyone actually enjoys being at these parties and the decadence is a symbol for moral lacking. What makes this movie work so well are the performances. Broderick Crawford, Fellini muse Giulietta Masina, and Richard Basehart are give so much life and heart to their characters. Fellini himself crafts a film with such elegance that some of the moralism doesn't feel too heavy-handed. And boy does he stick the landing.
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