If this isn't the saddest movie that I have ever seen, it is very close to the top of the list. Even more significant are the stellar performances of the three leads, the skill and artistry of Fellini's direction, the stark black and white cinematography of Martelli and Carlini, and the haunting theme song by Nino Rota, which must never be underestimated in its overall impact on the prevailing mood of disappointment and tragedy from beginning to end.
Although the film occurs nearly a decade after World War II devastated much of Italy in so many ways, the bleakness and impoverishment of the Italian countryside serve as a perpetual backdrop to the tragic events that befall the three central characters. Although I initially believed that the road covered much more of Italy, most of the movie was filmed in only three central Italian locations, including the towns of Viterbo and L'Aquila and the seaside at Fiumicino, not far from Rome.
My first look at "La Strada" was as a very young boy when it appeared on "Million Dollar Movie" during the late 1950's, every night for an entire week at a time. Although I probably didn't have a clue as to what exactly was transpiring before me, even as an innocent child I was very impressed by the faces and words of the actors, the unforgettable music, and the distinctive atmosphere. The film has, of course, immensely improved in time as I watch it as one who has experienced life as an adult.
Giulietta Masina is superb as the simple and pitiful Gelsomina who troubles the brute, Zampano, as his conscience until he can no longer tolerate her presence any longer. At one point, although she sees an opportunity to free herself from Zampano's abusive grasp, she foregoes it. For the sake of an undying sense of loyalty? Or is it love? Masina, along with Anthony Quinn and Richard Basehart, both non-Italians, deliver three outstanding performances that create a powerful, emotional force that has not diminished for me in more than six decades. I am so taken by the unique, extremely desolate atmosphere and the extraordinary drama unfolding on the screen that I am unaffected by the fact that the English words of Quinn and Basehart are dubbed in Italian. As in many of Shakespeare's tragedies, it is the fool, played by Basehart, who ironically exposes the human folly around him. Along the way, he also conveys some very thoughtful observations of life and visionary prophecies to a highly impressionable, if not childlike, Gelsomina. His uncontrollable urge to taunt the crude, coarse Zampano leads to irreversible, disastrous consequences. Along "La Strada", the road of life, the world is often unkind, and we are only human, not gods, as we struggle to endure its harsh malevolence. In the end, we are left with the unforgettable, solitary image of Zampano (Quinn) on a lonely, cold beach as the violins of Rota's sorrowful theme song haunt us for the rest of our days. Who will forgive us for our human frailties?
Although the film occurs nearly a decade after World War II devastated much of Italy in so many ways, the bleakness and impoverishment of the Italian countryside serve as a perpetual backdrop to the tragic events that befall the three central characters. Although I initially believed that the road covered much more of Italy, most of the movie was filmed in only three central Italian locations, including the towns of Viterbo and L'Aquila and the seaside at Fiumicino, not far from Rome.
My first look at "La Strada" was as a very young boy when it appeared on "Million Dollar Movie" during the late 1950's, every night for an entire week at a time. Although I probably didn't have a clue as to what exactly was transpiring before me, even as an innocent child I was very impressed by the faces and words of the actors, the unforgettable music, and the distinctive atmosphere. The film has, of course, immensely improved in time as I watch it as one who has experienced life as an adult.
Giulietta Masina is superb as the simple and pitiful Gelsomina who troubles the brute, Zampano, as his conscience until he can no longer tolerate her presence any longer. At one point, although she sees an opportunity to free herself from Zampano's abusive grasp, she foregoes it. For the sake of an undying sense of loyalty? Or is it love? Masina, along with Anthony Quinn and Richard Basehart, both non-Italians, deliver three outstanding performances that create a powerful, emotional force that has not diminished for me in more than six decades. I am so taken by the unique, extremely desolate atmosphere and the extraordinary drama unfolding on the screen that I am unaffected by the fact that the English words of Quinn and Basehart are dubbed in Italian. As in many of Shakespeare's tragedies, it is the fool, played by Basehart, who ironically exposes the human folly around him. Along the way, he also conveys some very thoughtful observations of life and visionary prophecies to a highly impressionable, if not childlike, Gelsomina. His uncontrollable urge to taunt the crude, coarse Zampano leads to irreversible, disastrous consequences. Along "La Strada", the road of life, the world is often unkind, and we are only human, not gods, as we struggle to endure its harsh malevolence. In the end, we are left with the unforgettable, solitary image of Zampano (Quinn) on a lonely, cold beach as the violins of Rota's sorrowful theme song haunt us for the rest of our days. Who will forgive us for our human frailties?