Lida Baarova Movies

Italian maestro Federico Fellini's first international success is a nakedly autobiographical film that bears many of the formal and thematic concerns that recur throughout his work. Set in the director's hometown of Rimini, I Vitelloni follows the lives of five young vitelloni, or layabouts, who while away their listless days in their small seaside village. Fausto (Franco Fabrizi), the leader of the pack, marries his sweetheart, but finds himself constantly distracted by other women. Meanwhile, would-be playwright Leopoldo (Leopoldo Trieste) continues work on his dreary plays, dreaming of staging them one day. Clownish Alberto (Alberto Sordi) still lives at home with his mother and sister, Olga (Claude Farell), while boasting of preserving the family honor by watching over her. While the movie seems to pay little attention to Riccardo (Riccardo Fellini) and Moraldo (Franco Interlenghi), the latter eventually emerges as its key character, plainly serving as Fellini's alter ego. Stuck in adolescence, the five friends stumble into various misadventures, as they seek to spice up their uneventful provincial lives. Ultimately, one of them breaks free from their self-imposed paralysis and moves on, leading to one of the most poignant farewell sequences in film history. A hit in Italy upon its release, I Vitelloni secured Fellini's reputation as an up-and-coming talent, while also introducing its title into Italian vernacular. ~ Elbert Ventura, Rovi

Patrioten was released in English-speaking regions as I Love My Country, a sentiment which prevailed in Hitler's Germany -- much more so than after WWII. The story is set in the First World conflict, as a courageous group of German soldiers defend themselves from relentless attacks by the French. Unlike All Quiet on the Western Front, no pacifism is preached here. The soldiers fight and die for a noble cause, just as they'd be willing to do so in any and all future wars (one of which was only two years away). The inclusion of a romantic subplot and endless shots of Bavarian music festivals added immeasurably to the film's box-office appeal in Germany. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

As indicated by its title, Baracole is adapted from The Tales of Hoffman. Gustav Froelich stars as Colloredo, who enjoys nothing more than boasting about his sexual conquests. A friend wagers that Colloredo will be unable to seduce the beautiful Giacinta (Lida Baarova). It so happens that Giacinta's wily husband Zubaran (Willy Birgel) overhears the wager, thereby setting in motion a counter-wager that will ultimately result in Colloredo's downfall. The ultimate winner in these sordid surroundings is Giacinta, who is never made aware that she has become a pawn in a dirty game of sexual one-upmanship. Though set in Venice, Baracole was shot entirely within the confines of Germany's UFA studios. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi