La Strada (1956)

Highly Overrated But Still Good

As somebody who had not heard any of this before, it became a curious phenomenon to sit and watch a film and slowly have the realities begin to click into place.

This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.

This is a dark and sometimes deeply uncomfortable drama

Anthony Quinn who was Cecil B de Mille's son in law told the story of showing La Strada to his father in law. It seems that De Mille couldn't take it. He asked for the projection to be interrupted in more than one occasion. He was disturbed, confused. Maybe it was the simplicity, the total lack of artifice. Let's remember Fellini shot it in the immediate post-war Italy with no means whatsoever and here it was, a masterpiece changing the world of cinema pushing us to a reality that was as pungent as it was poetic. The heartbreaking story of Gelsomina - an extraordinary Giulietta Masina - and Zampano - a spectacular prime Anthony Quinn who plays his humanoid with shattering truth - went to become a global sensation and an Oscar winner. Apparently, after the film was over, Cecil B de Mille got up and left the room without saying a word.

La Strada, or The Road if you prefer, tells about young woman named Gelsomina (Giulietta Masina), who gets taken in by a travelling strongman performer named Zampanó (Anthony Quinn). Well, to be more accurate, she gets sold to him by her family. The movie follows them along as they travel the countryside, gathering money by doing various shows, the most prevalent being Zampanó busting a chain tied around his chest by flexing his muscles. You know... high art.The movie has its ups and downs. The characters themselves are easily the best part. The two main characters meet all kinds of people along their journey, including some other circus performers, the most interesting being The Fool, played by Richard Basehart. But it's the two of them that hold the central focus for the majority of the runtime and they are quite fascinating. Zampanó, a gruff dog beaten by the world and ready to beat it back, yet not an evil man per se. And Gelsomina, a sad and lonely child trapped in the body of an adult. What makes them even more interesting is that they don't really change all that much throughout the film. Sure Gelsomina moves from depression to having some form of affection towards Zampanó, but yet she still remains exactly the same character she was in the beginning. Likewise with him. It's simply that we get pulled deeper and deeper into them as the movie progresses. They don't change, we simply learn more about them.As far as the story goes, it's not overly complicated, which is fine at first, but in the end leaves you wanting a bit more. It's a character study movie, certainly, but in the end all they do is wander around and have arguments with one another. I liked it, but these two great characters could have told a bigger story without any problems.Still, it's a nice movie to check out and a really strong early work from director Federico Fellini.

LA STRADA is a film about wandering and aimless life, the harsh truth and beautiful poetry. The film emphasizes the sadness, loneliness and need for love, purpose and understanding. The story is about an unusual friendship between strongman and mildly mentally retarded girl in the entertainment show.This film is a quite realistic and honest life's journey, in which lack of tenderness and compassion. It is fascinating that in said film does not express the tragedy nor exaggerated melodrama. Simple passions, fears and emotions is the easiest to recognize. In addition to expression and pantomime words are superfluous. Love hurts when it does not recognize.Acting is extremely touching. Anthony Quinn as Zampano in the role of a strong, simple and ruthless primitive. It is interesting to see how his characterization develops. The inherent solitude can not resist the poetry. Giulietta Masina as Gelsomina is versatile and all the story revolves around Gelsomina. Her eyes, sadness or joy on her face were enough to change human life. So much for the purpose.This is truly a beautiful film filled with sadness, humor and understanding.

With such simplicity one might wonder how Fellini pulled it off so marvelously. I saw this film after watching his masterpiece 8 1/2.. This one did not carry those complex scenes that need lots of interpretations, yet it had much depth in it and left a great deal of impact on me. Perhaps it was intended to have this simple plot because love that is the subject of this movie is simple and that is why it is so powerful.Zampano is the unmindful cruel man that cares for nothing but his pleasures.. he is a simple showman that travels from place to place to perform his acts. He starts taking Gelsomina, who is a poor simple minded young woman, with him in his rides after her mother sold her to him. Gelsomina is his contradiction.. an innocent pure soul that cares for others.. that wants to love and be loved.. that wants to give meaning to her life.She was miserable.. struggling with her new life when she learned from another showman, a character which seemed shallow from the outside and truly was deep from the inside, that everything was there for a reason and a purpose. Zampano, and so she thought, was the purpose of her being in life, and love was there.. but was it enough to change him..After a while she seemed crazier.. or maybe the insanity of people's acts were reflecting on her as she was purer and clearer than a mirror. She had a purpose and fought for it and there in every detail of this great film you will reflect on the simplicity and greatness of love.