Early mush from the master, Federico Fellini.
La Strada (1954)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:31
Fresh:30
Rotten:1
Average Rating:8.7/10
Runtime: 1 hr 48 mins
Genre: Foreign Films
Synopsis: Zampano (Anthony Quinn), a performer in a traveling carnival outside of Rome, purchases the young, poor Gelsomina (Giulietta Masina) to be his wife and assistant. Although she shows genuine... Zampano (Anthony Quinn), a performer in a traveling carnival outside of Rome, purchases the young, poor Gelsomina (Giulietta Masina) to be his wife and assistant. Although she shows genuine enthusiasm as an assistant, putting on a fabulous clown act akin to Charlie Chaplin, nobody seems to appreciate her; she quietly endures a life of emotional coldness and cruelty. When she meets "The Fool," Ilmatto (Richard Basehart), a quicksilver trapeze artist who befriends her and offers her warmth, kindness, and an uplifting vision of the world, Gelsomina convinces herself that she and Zampano are in love. She is plunged into despair, however, after Zampano interferes in a jealous rage, precipitating a tragedy that will haunt him forever. Federico Fellini establishes a style and certain key themes in this film that he repeats as trademarks in subsequent films: the beach as a symbol of purity and release; haunting, soft female singing as a symbol of memory; examinations of Catholics and their religion as a cult behavior; and, above all, a chaotic, circus-oriented cyclical pattern that guides his films. The Oscar-winning LA STRADA is the perfect place from which to begin an exploration of Fellini's expertly crafted movies. [More]
Starring: Giulietta Masina, Anthony Quinn, Richard Basehart, Aldo Silvani
Starring: Giulietta Masina, Anthony Quinn, Richard Basehart, Aldo Silvani
Director: Federico Fellini
Director: Federico Fellini
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Reviews for La Strada
Fellini once described this masterpiece, which marks his break with the strictures of neo-realism, as "the complete catalogue of my mythical world;" It could be seen as another, poetic version of Beauty and the Beast fable.
The two lead performers...are marvelous and the imagery is gorgeous, with Fellini's precision cutting and dramatic lighting pointing the way to 8½
Symbols, metaphors, and larger-than-life performances hold sway, and moments of bizarre if inconsequential charm abound.
Fellini made several films with actress Giulietta Masina, whom was also his wife, but the character of Gelsomina is the one which, over the years, has been most fondly spoken of and written about.
Leaves me cold no critical account of it I have read has struck me as compelling or illuminating.
The searing, tearful tell that won Fellini his best Oscar for best foreign film and may be his finest masterpiece.
Has an unmistakable other-ness to it, as it is an early precursor to the sort of magical realism that would take hold in Fellini’s late-career efforts.
A fairly straightforward story whose poignancy is accentuated by Masina's delicate performance and Nino Rota's exquisite score.
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 15% 15% | The Ugly Truth |
| 98% 98% | Up |
| 36% 36% | G.I. Joe: The Rise of … |
| 52% 52% | The Taking of Pelham 1… |
| 45% 45% | Ice Age: Dawn of the D… |
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 36% 36% | Angels & Demons |
| 68% 68% | Funny People |
| 25% 25% | Four Christmases |
| 45% 45% | Shorts |
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