IMDb RATING
7.5/10
7.2K
YOUR RATING
A trio of con-men led by a lonesome swindler must deal with their job and family pressures.A trio of con-men led by a lonesome swindler must deal with their job and family pressures.A trio of con-men led by a lonesome swindler must deal with their job and family pressures.
- Awards
- 2 nominations
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThe Swindle (1955) is both a stand-alone movie and the centerpiece of Federico Fellini's unofficial "trilogy of loneliness," preceded by La Strada (1954) and followed by Nights of Cabiria (1957). All three are key works marking the last great moments of Italian neorealism, which was waning as central figures like Roberto Rossellini and Vittorio De Sica moved on to different genres. In the 1950s, he still held the neorealist conviction that nothing is more dramatic than the lives of ordinary people transferred to the screen with a minimum of embellishment.
- Quotes
Augusto: We've gotta figure out something better. We can't go on like this.
Roberto: Who's saying we should? I'm not an idiot. This is just for fun, just to keep us going. I'm going to sing. When I save up some money, I'll take lessons. I've bought all the Johnnie Ray's records. He's really my style.
Augusto: You'll never take lessons.
Roberto: I'm not ending up like you!
- Alternate versionsThe Prime Video master, circulating on subscription services such as FilmBox, has been censored to blur out shots of actors smoking.
- ConnectionsEdited into Histoire(s) du cinéma: La monnaie de l'absolu (1999)
Featured review
Il Bidone is as good as anything Fellini has ever done. A masterwork with brilliant performances, stunningly beautiful shots and a wonderful script, this film tells more about Italy than any dozen other films. It all centers on Broderick Crawford's amazing acting -- the pinnacle of his career. An achingly wonderful film and a monumental performance. His character is so nasty and so bad -- yet still you feel sorry for him. But all the roles are filled with wonderful actors, down to the smallest bit part. Some of these scenes can't be rivaled anywhere -- the one between Crawford (dressed as a fake Monsignor) and the girl on crutches is one of the best bits of cinema in history.
Details
- Runtime1 hour 32 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.33 : 1
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