Lichter des Varieté

I started my review of Fellini's "White Sheikh" by correcting the personal assumption that he debuted with neo-realism but after experiencing "Variety Lights" his first directorial and producing debut with the collaboration of Alberto Lattuada, it's like the titular light hitting me. I realized these terms of reference don't amount to a hill of 'penne' when it came to the story's hidden depths covered by the flashy apparatus of the music-hall world.

I think Fellini has never been 'realistic' in the strict sense of the term and was closer in spirit to the French poetic realism of the 30s where stories' real backdrops unearthed a certain poetry about life, a capability to sublimate humans' flaws for the sake of art. Fellini and Lattuada's exposition of the struggles of a third-rate Vaudevillian troop might shed a spotlight on the difficult life of mountebanks but it says much more about ambition, love, passion jealousy, forgiveness and ultimately human nature.

But the show must go on so let's get back to the film.

First of all, I want to say that I thoroughly enjoyed "Variety Lights" and if I have one piece of advice, it's this: don't let yourself get fooled by the term 'debut', the film is a complete and well-done achievement that wouldn't make you suspect this is a first film, maybe because Lattuada was already an experienced film-maker... still, I was hooked from the start and I suspect that several viewings would convince anyone that this has the makings of a classic masterpiece. I mean it.

There's another advice, it's very tempting to look for signs of Fellini's usual trademarks, the first glaring one is the little troop of performers, going from town to town, foreshadowing "La Strada", the pivotal use of music (except for the absence of Nino Rota) and the overarching effects on lust and passion. We can also see the obligatory deserted areas, the streets at night and a gallery of 'faces' craving for fun or providing it... but these considerations are rather superficial and might even cloud your appreciation on a pure storytelling level.

The film opens with a show, as flashy, catchy and enrapturing as one would expect, Peppino de Filippo is Checco de la Monte, singer and head of the troop and among the dancers, there's a young Giuletta Masina as Mellina Amour, his mistress, also the voluptuous Gina Masceti (she was the jealous abusive wife in "The White Sheikh") and a few other colorful characters. The shows ends on a spectacular finale only spoiled by the disappearance of the money that contained the troop's wages.

The merit of this opening sequence is to set the tone by showing the show through the mesmerized eyes of Liliana, played by Carla Del Poggio, who was Lattuada's wife. She's so hooked that she embodies the effect the music-hall has on people, making it as pivotal as art or food, something that pleases the eyes, soothes the soul and exorcise the devil of boredome. That was the early 50s, where entertainment consisted of American exports: jazz music, mambo and frivolity. But there's more in Lilian's look.

After the show, she joins the troop and asks if they need another dancer. The artists are so busy and desperate about the money they don't even care about her credentials. She boards the same train that take them to the next town (some hide in the toilet to avoid paying the fare) and asks Checco to give him a job. He's first titillated by the beauty and the nerve of the young lady and try some moves she immediately dismisses wishing she could be taken seriously, Checco falls immediately in love.

The following show meets a more hostile crowd where audience members spare no effort to heckle every single number. Then it all changes when Liliana accidentally lets her skirt slip during a Hula dance and the public -mainly masculine- goes all bananas about it, the sleazy manager knows what the audience wants: naked women and sensual dances. The performances are repeated and Lilianna's career takes off until the whole troop is invited to the mansion of a wealthy man named Duke (Giacomo Furio).

What goes during the dinner is perhaps a masterpiece of 'silent' comedy: without words, we can only heard the slurping and chewing sounds of the guests gluttonously eating chicken while the women try to maintain their composure. That scene says a lot about how 'hungry' they are, literally and figuratively, symbolizing the tacit hunger for fame and glory. The evening is ruined when Checco prevents the man from taking advantage from Liliana and at that point he decides to form his own troop with her and abandon the poor Amelia, Masina plays once again a strong character whose life seems destined for chagrin.

The journey goes on with its shares of ups and downs and encounters in the middle of the night and some that can make or break an artist's career. It is a wonderful tribute to the peculiar laws of entertainment by Fellini and Lattuada, two artists who cast their own wives to minimize the costs, embodying the travelling-troop mentality. Their depiction is so bold and sincere, especially men's less-than-honorable motives it's as if Fellini was also foreshadowing his own infidelities, suffered by Masina all through her life..

It's a comment on talent, luck, and a sort of faith in success that is drawn here by two maestri, the film didn't work at the box-office but it set Fellini's first foot behind the camera after his screenwriting collaboration with Roberto Rossellini, little did he know that 3 years after, he would meet success with "I Vitelloni" and the face of Italian cinema would never be the same.

Fellini's career mirrors the fate of Liliana in "Luce del Varieta", proving once again that reality can be as strange -and poetic- as fiction.

Master storyteller Fellini tried out his directing chops for the first time with ‘Luci del Varieta'. Creating a memorable cast of characters and memorable situations along the way, I think it's safe to say it was a very good first effort. Checco (Peppino De Filippo) is a frustrating man that thinks with everything except his head. An optimist first, the realities of his intentions are just short of ridiculous. Overall, Fellini handles the film with such a delicate humor, the actors are provided with every opportunity to flesh out their characters and make each one very unique. A simple story told well by the man who would go on to telling amazing stories. Rating: 28/40

Good first effort from Fellini exemplifying the lust for love in both partner & work.

A young woman pursuing her dream of being on the stage, aligns herself with a traveling variety show band of performers in `Variety Lights,' directed by Federico Fellini (and assisted by Alberto Lattuada). Veteran comic actor Checco Dal Monte (Peppino De Filippo) and his troupe of performers are struggling to get by, living from hand to mouth and show to show, but it doesn't deter Liliana Antonelli (Carla Del Poggio), blinded perhaps by the stars in her eyes, from approaching Checco about joining his show. He turns her down-- they simply have no openings, and certainly no money-- but circumstances soon prevail on her behalf, and much to the chagrin of many of the other performers, she joins the troupe. The effect she will have on the show, and how it will influence her own life, remains to be seen at this point; but with Fellini at the helm, you know it's going to be an interesting ride. And it is.

Fellini, a true visionary, is known for filling the screen with vivid images born of his own imagination, especially in his later films. But beyond the sometimes bizarre appearances, there is always an engaging story to be found at the heart of his films, and this one (his first) is no exception. And, though devoid of the surrealism he would use later on, in Checco's company there is something of the carnival motif present that Fellini would return to time and again during the course of his career, and of course, there's the story, presented with that unique Fellini touch and laced with his insight into the human condition, which at it's core is the real strength of the film.

No matter what the subject matter, Fellini always had his finger on the emotional pulse of the material and had the innate ability to transfer what he felt to the screen. Very simply, he knew what worked and how to use it; within the images he presents, there can always be found a reflection of reality-- even amid the surreal-- and it's in his characters. Physically and emotionally, these are real people who run the entire gamut of human existence. Beyond his astounding visuals, it's his ability to cultivate that depth of his characters that makes Fellini special; the way they interact with, and relate to one another or the situations in which they find themselves. And by drawing out his actors, he always gives his audience someone with whom to identify on one level or another.

As Checco, Filippo successfully taps into the humanity of the character, this aging performer with hopes and aspirations beyond his means or capabilities. He's a character with whom you can sympathize, but only to a point-- for you soon recognize his flaws and transgressions. But even then, you are still able to at least understand him. Most importantly, his performance is believable, and his Checco comes across as a very real person.

Del Poggio gives a notable performance as well, as this young woman who makes the most of the opportunity with which she is presented. And as the story unfolds she develops her character extremely well; by the end of the film you know exactly who `Lily' is and what motivates her.

In a memorable supporting role, it's the young Giulietta Masina, however, who steals the show as Melina Amour, Checco's girlfriend. She creates the one character in the film with whom you can truly empathize, and she does it with style. Masina has such a radiant, charismatic screen presence, that whenever she appears the eye is instinctively drawn to her. A gifted actress, she is exceptionally adept at expressing her emotions-- often by merely shifting her eyes-- and communicating with the audience. Few actors can say more or convey as much with their eyes or with a simple expression as Masina. And, sparse as it is, her performance here is alone worth the price of admission.

The supporting cast includes Folco Lulli (Adelmo), John Kitzmiller (Johnny), Dante Maggio (Remo), Carlo Romano (Enzo) and Gina Mascetti (Valeria del Sole). Well crafted and delivered, `Variety Lights' is an engaging story, told in the same straightforward manner Fellini would later use in `La Strada' and `Nights of Cabiria.' The basic elements of the story may be familiar, but it's an entertaining film, and worth seeing, as it prophesies the triumphs of an artist who would soon be recognized as one of the world's master filmmakers: Fellini. I rate this one 7/10.

I just saw this for the first time, after sampling much of Fellini's later work over many years.

The most surprising thing to me was the sense that Variety Lights (VL) foreshadows Fellini's later "indulgent" work. Here, he bathes the viewer with genuinely warm, almost disconnected bits of life in all its spendor. The fine editing makes it all work; I laughed and sighed out loud through much of this movie, and the first 10 minutes hooked me. A little later in his career, Fellini (with help from other fine story people) showcased straight-up storytelling in La Strada and Cabiria. Subsequent to that, he began exploring "story space" in alinear, character-focused ways, from La Dolce Vita and beyond.

The point of all of this is to express my surprise that Fellini appears to have ended his career somewhat as he started it. VL is almost a "throwback" to the directions he took later in abandoning more traditional storytelling methods. Maybe it'd be better to put it this way: When he began diverging from a more conventional narrative style, he was actually taking a step *back* to the style we see in VL. A very good comparison is against his "Fred and Ginger," which explores story space in a studiedly chaotic way, then bowls you over by tying things together with a profoundly touching moment at the end. In "Fred and Ginger," Fellini gracefully brings together his old and new styles. In VL, he seems to bring these together before the new even happened!

The tremendous abilities of the actors and actresses are delightful in VL. Something conspicuous in post 8-1/2 Fellini is the purposeful lack of traditional acting craft; Fellini talked about this repeatedly in interviews. In VL (as in La Strada and Cabiria), Fellini shows that he was perfectly capable of directing actors who are plying their skills.

Because VL seems to cover the strengths of most of Fellini's career, it is a very fine example of the best he could do. Check it out.