***BIOGRAPHY: FEDERICO FELLINI (2004, 50 min) ~Arguably the most respected and influential filmmaker of the 20th century, Federico Fellini represents the paragon of creativity, spontaneity, and style. This documentary prof... more »iles the illustrious life and career of the legendary Italian director responsible for such masterpieces as La Dolce Vita (1960) and 8 ½ (1963). Widely praised for visual boldness and emotional authenticity, Fellini's oeuvre is also characterized by distinctive thematic elements such as the unconscious, dreams, and the imagination. Taking his audience on journeys through ancient and modern Rome - a surrealist space filled with clowns and carnivals, priests and prostitutes - the content of Fellini's films is matched only by his dynamic personality. Interviews, behind-the-scenes footage, and clips from his many films help animate this special BIOGRAPHY presentation, offering viewers a glimpse inside the luminous mind of the maestro of modern film. ***IL BIDONE (1962, 92 min) ~ In Fellini's sardonically humorous, yet powerfully dramatic "Il Bidone," three small-time crooks impersonate priests in Rome to con poor people out of their money. Academy Award winner Broderick Crawford is extraordinary as the group's world weary leader, whose chance meeting with his daughter opens his eyes to his wrongdoing. Too late, he suffers a crisis of conscience in this absorbing tale of hope, desperation and, finally, redemption. One of Fellini's most realistic films, "Il Bidone" begins as an Italian comedy of errors, its swindles reminiscent of "The Sting," yet there is true sting in its harsh portrayal of greed and squalor. The middle chapter in Fellini's "trilogy of loneliness" between "La Strada" and "Nights of Cabiria," this classic film will tug at your heart and astonish you with its aching sense of compassion. Music by Nino Rota. (Total running time 2 hrs 22 min)« less