217. La Strada

La Strada (1954)

Director: Federico Fellini

Starring: Anthony Quinn

Giulietta Masina

Richard Basehart

IMDb Rating: 8

Joey Rating: 8

" I don't know for what this pebble is useful, but it must be useful. For if it's useless, everything is useless. "

Gelsomina (Giulietta Masina) and her family have been abandoned by their father, and have very little money. Her mother strikes a deal to sell her to a traveling performer Zampano (Anthony Quinn) for for 10,000 lire. Gelsomina is shown a few tricks to help present Zampano to his audiences better, like playing the trumpet and acting like a clown. Even though Zampano is eager to teach her new things, his methods are very cruel. After a while, she cannot take the beatings and womanizing of Zampano, and she runs away. She comes across a high wire act in a crowded town square, and is instantly mesmerized by the tight rope walker Il Matto (Richard Basehart). Zampano eventually finds Gelsomina, and forces her to come back with him. They end up joining a circus that Il Matto just happens to work for. There Il Matto opens the eyes of Gelsomina to her situation and the man that might not say it, but clearly loves her. That man being the prideful brute Zampano.

La Strada's story is one of innocence and wonder, amidst a world of violence and tragedy. I found the character of Gelsomina to be so naive, that I do not believe she ever realized how terribly she was being treated. Her role, up until her final scenes, is completed mostly in silence. I felt an increased sense of empathy for her as the film progressed. No matter what terrible situation arose, she seemed to find something wonderful in it. Also the character of Zampano shows that sometimes even the strongest person doesn't realize the magnitude of their own power. Without giving anything away, his actions lead to more distruction than even he can imagine. Physically and mentally, he seems to damage everyone and everything in his path. He realizes far too late, what his actions in life have cost him. La Strada is a film full of life's lessons through two very different, but eternally bonded people.

The wonderful thing about director Federico Fellini is that his films are really open to your interpretation. No two reviews of a Fellini film will ever be the same. Each person that dives into one of his films, comes to the surface with a different meaning or lesson learned. It is sometimes nice to not have a clear cut explination as to what a film was about. It is often these films, however simple as they seem to be, that never expire with an audience.

La Strada was Fellini's first major exposure to the United States, where it won an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. It's simple, yet very symbolic story, still stands today as a true cornerstone of Italian cinema. I'll be honest, I was rather bored with the first forty minutes of the film. I found myself wondering in what direction it was headed. Although, once the film gets it's character groundwork laid, it begins to surprise and move you at every corner. I recommend this movie for anyone who liked a future film I will be reviewing, The Bicycle Thief.