I Vitelloni

The youngest Vitellone, Moraldo watches his friends with a mix of envy and fatigue. He dreams of escaping the provincial town and moving to the city, where life might finally feel meaningful. His quiet, reflective demeanor provides a counterpoint to Fausto's brash bravado, highlighting the tension between ambition and inertia.

A charming but unreliable figure, Fausto is the group’s skirt-chasing chronic nonconformist. He marries Sandra to quell gossip but keeps chasing other women, showing a reckless disregard for commitment. His actions spark the unraveling of relationships and push his friends to confront their own stasis.

A dreamy, sensitive artist-in-waiting, Alberto longs for a stage larger than the town. He performs a surreal dance in drag at the masquerade, exposing his need to escape into performance. His closeness to his family and his own artistic yearnings underscore the tension between imagination and ordinary life.

An aspiring dramatist who writes a play and discusses it with Natali, Leopoldo embodies the hope of artistic recognition. He uses theatre as a route to meaning beyond provincial constraints, even as practicality and doubt temper his ambitions. His plans reflect the era's search for cultural validation in small-town settings.

A baritone with ambitions to sing and act, Riccardo nourishes unrealistic dreams while supporting his friends. He participates in the group’s schemes and introspections, illustrating how talent coexists with the desire for a bigger stage. His idealism mirrors the film’s broader question of whether aspiration can outgrow the town.

Sandra, Moraldo’s sister, is crowned Miss Mermaid and becomes the center of gossip about pregnancy. The pressure of reputation and family honor pushes her to make drastic choices, including leaving home with her lover. Her actions catalyze the search for Fausto and test the bonds of marriage.

Giulia is a mature beauty and the wife of Michele Curti, who becomes the object of Fausto’s attempts at seduction. Her resolve and eventual rejection of Fausto contribute to the tension in the love triangle and to Fausto’s professional downfall when her husband fires him.

Owner of a religious-articles shop and a friend of Fausto’s father-in-law, Michele represents a practical, morally upright counterweight to the group’s escapades. He ultimately fires Fausto after witnessing his flirtations with Giulia, underscoring the consequences of reckless behavior on personal and family honor.