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Actors: Anthony Quinn, Giulietta Masina, Richard Basehart
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| Review Summary and Plot Commentary about La Strada |
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This early Fellini film (1954) tells a classically stark and simple tale, with none of the surreality of his later work. It's a highly romantic story without any lovemaking or physical tenderness. Zampano (Quinn) is a performing strong man with a small traveling fair in Italy. The climax of his act involves wrapping a quarter-inch chain around his chest and bursting it by expanding his lungs. Gelsomina (Masina), a gentle and innocent soul, is sold to Zampano for a handful of coins and goes to work helping him in his act, responding to his physical and verbal abuse with unstinting kindness and forgiveness though she often dreams of running away, perhaps joining a nunnery. She meets "the Fool" (Basehart), a tightrope walker and clown who is sympathetic and wise, but with just enough of a malicious streak to precipitate the final tragedy. This movie won the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film.
--David Loftus, Resident Scholar
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| Analysis of La Strada |
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Time/era of movie:
- 1930's-1950's
Romance/Love/Hugging
Yes
Job/Profession/Poverty Story?
Yes
Job:
- performer or comedian
Lover is...
- domineering
Main Character
Identity:
- Female
Profession/status:
- homemaker/wife
Age:
- 20's-30's
Eccentric:
Yes
Hair color?
- blonde
Hair type
- (woman) short/butch/lez
Events of movie makes character more...
- sad
Ethnicity/Nationality
- Italian
How sensitive is this character?
- sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor?
- Strong but gentle sense of humor
Intelligence
- Average intelligence
Physique
- average physique
Secondary Main Character
Identity:
- Male
Hair color
- brunette (Black)
Hair style
- (man) short/standard straight
Body type
- (man) muscular
Unclothed?
- chest
How much in movie?
- 90%-100%
Ethnicity/Nationality
- Italian
Main Adversary
Identity:
- Male
Age:
- 20's-30's
Profession/status:
- actor
Eccentric:
Yes
- eccentric
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in:
- 40%
Hair type
- (man) short/standard straight
Body type
- (man) average
Ethnicity/Nationality
- Italian
How sensitive is this character?
- middling sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor
- Cynical sense of humor
Intelligence
- Average intelligence
Physique
- average physique
Setting
Europe
Yes
European country:
- Italy
Small town?
Yes
Small town people:
- nice, like Andy/Opie/Aunt Bee
Misc setting
- theater
Style
Accounts of torture and death?
- moderately detailed references to deaths
Movie makes you feel...
- depressed/sad
Check here if B&W
Yes
Non-American film?
Yes
What language?
- Italian
Subtitles?
- Yes
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Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s). | |
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