The White Sheik / The Miracle

The White Sheik

In his first solo directorial outing, Fellini burlesques two of the driving forces of his early life—the publishing industry and the Church—by showing each to be fueled by fanatical devotion. Bushy-tailed newlyweds Ivan (Leopoldo Trieste) and Wanda (Brunella Bovo) pledge allegiance to the Vatican and the fumetti (romantic picture book), respectively, and when they arrive in Rome to consummate their marriage before the Pope, these separate pursuits pull them apart over the course of a long and circuitous day punctuated by screwball turns of fate.

The Miracle

Fellini’s third screenwriting collaboration with director Roberto Rossellini was this singular religious featurette. More so than any of Fellini’s vehicles for Mastroianni or Masina, The Miracle is a one-actor showcase, shining the spotlight on Anna Magnani for the entirety of its brief runtime as her character cycles through a full spectrum of emotions between exaltation and despair.