Character Relationship Map: I Vitelloni

Characters

• Alberto (played by Alberto Sordi) — protagonist

  An unemployed, dreamy young man who lives with support from his mother and his self-reliant sister Olga, Alberto spends his days idling with the vitelloni. Vulnerable and distressed by Olga's secret a...

• Fausto Moretti (played by Franco Fabrizi) — supporting

  A compulsive womanizer whose rumored affair with Sandra leads to a pressured marriage, Fausto remains reckless even after becoming a husband and father. He takes a stockroom job, pursues Giulia, is fi...

• Leopoldo Vannucci (played by Leopoldo Trieste) — supporting

  An aspiring dramatist among the unemployed vitelloni, Leopoldo writes a play and seeks recognition for it from an eccentric stage actor. When the actor makes an unwanted proposition during a seaside d...

• Riccardo (played by Riccardo Fellini) — supporting

  A baritone with unrealistic hopes of becoming a singer and actor, Riccardo is one of Fausto's idle friends in the provincial town. Although his ambitions remain unfulfilled, he takes part in the group...

• Sergio Natali (played by Achille Majeroni) — minor
• Riccardo's Friend (played by Milvia Chianelli) — minor
• Giulia Curti (played by Lída Baarová) — minor

  Michele Curti's wife, Giulia is a mature and striking woman who captivates Fausto at the annual masquerade ball. Fausto attempts to seduce her despite his marriage to Sandra, but the episode ends in h...

• Sandra Rubini (played by Leonora Ruffo) — supporting

  Moraldo's sister and Fausto's wife, Sandra is crowned Miss Mermaid 1953 before fainting amid rumors that she is pregnant by Fausto. She marries him under pressure, has a baby, then runs away after lea...

• Olga (played by Claude Farell) — supporting

  Alberto's self-reliant sister, Olga helps support him while he remains dependent and directionless. She secretly dates a married man, a situation that troubles Alberto deeply. After the masquerade bal...

• Michele Curti (played by Carlo Romano) — supporting

  The owner of a religious-articles shop and a friend of Fausto's father-in-law, Michele gives the unemployed Fausto a job as a stockroom assistant. He later discovers Fausto's attempted seduction of Gi...

Canonical Relationships

Family, romantic, and professional connections based on plot evidence.

• Sergio Natali → Leopoldo Vannucci (Professional Potential Performer) — Natali represents a possible professional opportunity for Leopoldo's dramatic ambitions.

  Leopoldo discusses his play with Sergio Natali because he hopes the eccentric stage actor will perform in it.

• Alberto → Olga (Family Brother) — Alberto and Olga are siblings whose different emotional needs create a family contrast.

  Alberto is described as vulnerable and close to his mother, while Olga is identified as his self-reliant sister.

• Michele Curti → Giulia Curti (Family Husband) — Their marriage defines the personal boundary Fausto violates.

  Giulia is identified as Michele's wife during the masquerade and the later confrontation involving Fausto.

• Fausto Moretti → Giulia Curti (Romantic Rejected Suitor) — Fausto pursues Giulia despite her marriage and receives no successful romantic response.

  At the masquerade ball, Fausto is captivated by Giulia's mature beauty and later attempts to seduce her.

• Fausto Moretti → Michele Curti (Professional Employee) — Michele becomes Fausto's employer after Fausto returns from his honeymoon.

  Fausto is forced to accept a job as a stockroom assistant in Michele's religious-articles shop.

• Fausto Moretti → Sandra Rubini (Romantic Husband) — Their marriage is strained by Fausto's repeated infidelity but temporarily survives the final crisis.

  After rumours that Sandra is expecting Fausto's baby, Fausto agrees to a shotgun wedding with her. They later return home together and reconcile.

Story Dynamics

Alliances, conflicts, and narrative interactions that evolve throughout the story.

• Riccardo → Sandra Rubini (Alliance Search Ally) — Riccardo acts as part of the friends' collective support for the distressed family.

  Riccardo joins the search for Sandra and the baby after her departure.

• Alberto → Sandra Rubini (Alliance Search Ally) — Alberto supports the effort to restore Sandra and the baby to the family.

  Alberto joins the desperate search for Sandra and her child after Sandra leaves home.

• Alberto → Riccardo (Social Friend) — Their friendship is part of the film's central male ensemble.

  Alberto and Riccardo are repeatedly grouped among the young men who spend their days together and later join the search for Sandra.

• Riccardo → Fausto Moretti (Social Friend) — Riccardo is both a member of Fausto's group and a supporter during the family crisis.

  Riccardo joins Fausto's circle of unemployed young men who waste time together and later helps search for Sandra and the baby.

• Alberto → Fausto Moretti (Social Friend) — They belong to the same idle provincial social circle.

  Alberto spends time with Fausto and the other young men in cafes, pool halls, walks, and childish pranks.

• Riccardo's Friend → Riccardo (friend)

Story Analysis

A group of unemployed young men confronts marriage, betrayal, family dependence, and the desire to escape provincial stagnation.

Plot Progression

1. Rain Over The Pageant — Sandra's fainting and the pregnancy rumours force Fausto into marriage. The newlyweds briefly leave the provincial town for Rome while their friends remain trapped in idle routines.
2. Work And Temptation — Fausto returns from his honeymoon and takes an unwanted shop job. His continued womanizing and attraction to Giulia expose the instability of his marriage and adult responsibilities.
3. The Stolen Angel — After being fired, Fausto steals a religious statue in revenge and fails to sell it. Meanwhile, Alberto suffers the loss of Olga, deepening the group's sense of disillusionment.
4. The Search For Home — Sandra leaves with the baby after discovering Fausto's latest betrayal. The friends help search for her, leading to a violent family confrontation and a fragile reconciliation.
5. Beyond Provincial Sleep — The marriage appears temporarily repaired, but the town's stagnant dream life remains unchanged. A young friend finally boards a train, imagining escape from the provincial routine.