THE WHITE SHEIK (Lo Sceicco Bianco) (1952) - ♦♦♦♦

Directed by - Federico Fellini

Written by - Michelangelo Antonioni, Federico Fellini, Tullio Pinelli, Ennio Flaiano

Starring - Alberto Sordi, Brunella Bovo, Leopoldo Trieste

"A newlywed bride on her honeymoon in Rome where she is to have an audience with the Pope, ditches her groom to spend an evening with the star of popular photographic novels. Made on the eve of the Italian economic boom, Fellini’s debut was inspired by the need for escapism and in praise of flights of fantasy. It also set the style of the filmmaker’s endless imagination, the type that would be a vital part of his work to come.

This flamboyant flight ahead of fantasy was very much ground breaking for its time, yet there would be room to improve on the balance of the storyline. Alberto Sordi as the leading man delivers quite a magnetic and memorable performance."

Comedy, Italy