ADDITION: Criterion Blu-ray (November 2020): Criterion have transferred Federico Fellini's La dolce vita to Blu-ray as part of their 14 films (15-Blu-rays) package of Essential Fellini that includes Toby Dammit 1968, Variety Lights 1950, The White Sheik 1952, I vitelloni 1953, La strada 1954, Il bidone 1955, Nights of Cabiria 1957, La dolce vita 1960, 8½ 1963, Juliet of the Spirits 1965, Fellini Satyricon 1969, Roma 1972, Amarcord 1973, And the Ship Sails On 1983 and Intervista 1987. This is the 3rd Blu-ray in the Essential Fellini package.

"Restoration of I vitelloni (Federico Fellini, 1953) completed in 2019 by Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia - Cineteca Nazionale and Istituto Luce - Cinecitta from a 35mm fine grain master struck from the original negative, which is no longer in condition to be used, and from a soundtrack positive made available by RTI-Mediaset in collaboration with Infinity. A few sections missing from the fine gran master were integrated with images from a print made available by Fondazione Museo Alberto Sordi and from a preservation negative. All laboratory work was carried out at Cinema Communications Services, Rome."

The image is, predictably, vastly superior to the heavily flawed Cult Films transfer that is both interlaced, horizontally stretched, blown-out and coated with DNR. The Criterion shows much more on the left and bottom edges while losing a very small amount on the top and right. The grain support is excellent, it looks as though contrast is dampened but it looks very pleasing on my system on a dual-layered disc with a max'ed out bitrate. A monumental upgrade. 

On their Blu-ray, Criterion use a linear PCM mono track (24-bit) in the original Italian language. The authentically flat audio supports the film as does the score by Nino Rota (Juliet of the Spirits, Rocco and His Brothers, Death on the Nile, Il Bidone, 8 1/2, I Clowns, Purple Noon, The Leopard etc.) accentuating both humor and drama. Criterion offer optional English subtitles on their Region 'A' Blu-ray.

Criterion include from their 2004 DVD The Making of I Vitelloni 1/2 hour documentary featuring interviews with late actor Leopoldo Trieste, actor Franco Interlenghi, assistant director Moraldo Rossi, Fellini biographer Tullio Kezich, Fellini friend Vincenzo Mollica, and director of the Fellini Foundation, Vittorio Boarini, the gallery collection of stills, posters, and memorabilia and original theatrical trailer and movie newsreels from the time of the film’s release. New for this disc: In the second episode of Second Look running 32-minutes, part of a four-part interview series Federico Fellini discusses the sights of his home town of Rimini - including the Grand Hotel, which is featured in I Vitelloni - as well as his early work with filmmaker Roberto Rossellini and actor Alberto Sordi.

NOTE: The deluxe packaging, includes two lavishly illustrated books with hundreds of pages of content: notes on the films by scholar David Forgacs, essays by filmmakers Michael Almereyda, Kogonada, and Carol Morley; film critics Bilge Ebiri and Stephanie Zacharek; and novelist Colm Tóibín, and dozens of images spotlighting Don Young’s renowned collection of Fellini memorabilia collector’s set designed by Raphael Geroni, with new illustrations by Abigail Giuseppe.