La Strada

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Ben D Fellini’s story concerning an odd couple of traveling carnies (Giulietta Masina & Anthony Quinn) showcases what happens when a “blank slate” Gelsomina (Masina) is hoicked into the wagon of an irascible brute, Zampanò (Quinn). Zampanò makes a precarious living traipsing the countryside and gathering townsfolk to watch his act, which mainly centers around him being able to break a chain that is tied around his back and across his chest. Gelsomina, whose sister, Rosa (whom we never meet), had been the man’s previous assistant and died on during the travels. How she died is never addressed, but Zampanò returns to the same beachside home to purchase Gelsomina from a mother with “too many mouths to feed”. At first, we think he’s purchasing a wife, but Zampanò openly sleeps with other women without ever making a move on the waifish Gelsomina. In fact, he recoils at the thought of marrying her. I suppose there’s an atavistic charm to Zampanò that Gelsomina just can’t quit, as the girl falls deeper in love with him despite the beatings and other immoral behaviors. A puckish character referred to only as “The Fool” (Richard Basehart) is a foil to both Zampanò and Gelsomina and toys with the ruffian even if it leads to his eventual, inevitable demise. Through Gelsomina, we see someone who has experienced nothing so everything is exciting and new, even the sleepiest provincial town. What attracts Gelsomina so much to Zampanò is also what breaks her in the end, not physically, as would be expected, but psychologically. La Strada does that thing where the actors speak their own language (here, Quinn and Basehart use English) and are dubbed while the native speakers, of course, are not. Luckily, it isn’t too distracting, unlike the original Suspiria. Moreover, Quinn’s face somehow becomes more handsome and weathered, like a Bulgarian rose picker, as the movie goes on. It’s been described as partially Italian Neo-Realism, so expect the ending to be tragic and unsatisfying, like the lives these characters lead. Rated 4.5/5 Stars •  Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 10/31/24 Full Review Aender S So far my favourite film by Federico Fellini. Rated 4.5/5 Stars •  Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 04/13/24 Full Review Thomas V Pretty grim stuff by today's standards in terms of how women are treated, even moreso than the other Fellini films I've seen. But it's from a different era. A sad take on the beauty and the beast trope, with good performances and the beginning ingredients of what they call fellini-esqe films. And Giulietta Masina is wonderful. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/06/23 Full Review kips r fellinis best and one of my all time favorites. the character Gelsomina is one of the greatest characters i can remember seeing. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review lucca b An unconventional yet captivating friendship -- and sort of romance -- that depicts an excellent contrast between gullible innocence and brute strength, that thanks to Federico Fellini's filmmaking talent and the well-matched leads, it becomes one of the greatest films of postwar Italy. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review dave s In Federico Fellini's La Strada, Gelsomina (Giulietta Masina), a young and simple peasant girl, is sold to Zampano (Anthony Quinn), a brutal street entertainer, as his assistant. Together, they travel the Italian countryside, scrounging to make ends meet and struggling to come to terms with their volatile relationship. It is an often beautiful and sometimes ugly examination of the meaning of being, filled with striking images, a touching score, and a strong performance from Quinn. Some will find Masina's performance overbearing at times, but she effectively captures the innocent nature of her character. The final shot of Zampano on the beach coming to terms with his lot in life is nothing if not memorable. Rated 4.5/5 Stars •  Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review Read all reviews

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