Nights of Cabiria (1957)

Waste of time

hyped garbage

The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

The acting is good, and the firecracker script has some excellent ideas.

A waifish prostitute wanders the streets of Rome looking for true love but finds only heartbreak. Le Notti Di Cabiria is once again another film that doesn't hold up that well and comes of even as silly at times especially that dance scene, now the perfomances as well were not anything good or special to begin with and i found that extrememely disappointing and as for the story itself? nothing that you've never seen before in better made movies like 'Leaving Las Vegas' and basically anything with a similar story or similar main character in general. (0/10)

Is there a more cohesive film covering the range of the human experience in the catalogue of cinema? Doubtful. This masterpiece showcases one of the greatest performances ever captured on celluloid. Fellini's lilliputian muse Masina is indomitable in her role as the toughest little prostitute ever. She is equal parts gruff and sweet, a dichotomy extremely hard to successfully pull off. The haunting imagery of this film - the desolate landscape of her existence - juxtaposed with the opulence of the world she falls into (and is unceremoniously cast out of), represents an Eden all to familiar with anyone from a humble background. The surprisingly poignant and uplifting finish will leave a teary smile on your face. Bella!

Rome, 1957. A woman, Cabiria, is robbed and left to drown by her boyfriend, Giorgio. Rescued, she resumes her life and tries her best to find happiness in a cynical world. Even when she thinks her struggles are over and she has found happiness and contentment, things may not be what they seem.Wonderfully engaging movie from Federico Fellini. There's a lightness and sweetness about the main character that makes her easy to support. Some great comedy too. It's not all wine-and-roses though. There is a fair amount of struggle, bitterness and cynicism involved. The ending is particularly cynical, possibly too cynical. I am generally not in favour of Hollywood, happily-ever-after, endings but this story deserved a bit more happiness and closure than it ended with.While Fellini pulls the strings to perfection, it is the performance of Giulletta Masina as Cabiria who makes the movie. Street-wise and sassy yet sweet and vulnerable. Very funny, yet able to convey great sadness and struggle too. Some of her physical comedy is Chaplinesque in its brilliance. Her performance spans the whole gamut of human emotions and expressions and she does it incredibly well. Incredibly engaging and it is this engagement that makes the movie so great.

Most of us watch a lot of movies in our lives. I saw "Nights of Cabiria" twelve years ago in a friend's college dorm room. We were all sitting around, and my film student friend popped in "Nights of Cabiria." I had no idea what to expect. I had never even heard of the movie. Talk about the proverbial sucker punch! Cabiria has stayed in my mind ever since, and I find myself thinking about her all the time. That's the power of this film. There's no need to comment on the acting and directing, which are simply astonishing. What makes this movie so exceptional is the fact that the audience cannot help but fall madly, tragically in love with Cabiria (and of course with Masina). Throughout the movie, as others have noted, I just wanted to jump into the screen and hug her, save her from those around her and her own naivety. At the end of the day, it is our affection for Cabiria that pushes this movie to the heights of raw, emotional power.And that phenomenon is displayed so beautifully in the famous, magical closing ten minute sequence. I have to admit, when Oscar stole her money on the cliff, and we saw her (yet again) go from the euphoria of being in love to rolling on the ground, begging him to kill her, I was furious. How could Oscar do that to our beloved Cabiria? And more importantly, how DARE Fellini do this to me!!!! And that was the magic of Fellini. He KNEW that, by this point, the audience was so totally invested in Cabiria that her heartbreak was our heartbreak. Widely hailed as one of, if not THE most emotionally powerful endings in film history, Cabiria's final walk through the forest is simply beyond words. The explosive power, again, lies in the fact that we care SO much for this character, and when she smiles through her tears while walking among the festival goers, she looks in the camera (and in our eyes) and nods, letting us know that she will be okay. It's the most generous moment I have ever witnessed in film. I have chills just thinking about it.