IMDb > La strada (1954)
La strada
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La strada (1954) More at IMDbPro »


Overview

User Rating:
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Director:
Federico Fellini
Writers:
Federico Fellini (story) &
Tullio Pinelli (story) ...
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Contact:
View company contact information for La strada on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
16 July 1956 (USA) more
Genre:
Drama more
Plot:
A carefree girl is sold to a traveling entertainer, consequently enduring physical and emotional pain along the way. full summary | full synopsis
Plot Keywords:
more
Awards:
Won Oscar. Another 8 wins & 4 nominations more
User Comments:
Often Sad, Sometimes Surreal, Always Human more (75 total)

Cast

  (Complete credited cast)

Anthony Quinn ... Zampanò
Giulietta Masina ... Gelsomina

Richard Basehart ... Il Matto
Aldo Silvani ... Signor Giraffa
Marcella Rovere ... La Vedova
Livia Venturini ... La Suorina
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Additional Details

Also Known As:
The Road (USA) (literal English title)
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Runtime:
108 min
Country:
Italy
Language:
Italian
Sound Mix:
Mono (Western Electric Recording)
Certification:
Portugal:M/12 | New Zealand:R16 | Argentina:16 | Australia:G | Australia:M (alternate rating) | Chile:18 | Finland:K-10 (1986) | Finland:K-16 | Norway:16 | Sweden:15 | Switzerland:16 (canton of the Grisons) | West Germany:16 | Singapore:PG | Norway:15 (1995) | UK:PG (video rating) | UK:A (original rating)

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
Won the first ever Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. more
Goofs:
Crew or equipment visible: Camera shadow visible when Zampano rides off with Red. more
Quotes:
The Fool: What a funny face! Are you a woman, really? Or an artichoke? more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in Jasminum (2006) more

FAQ

Why does the Fool die after only a few punches from Zampanò?
more
24 out of 28 people found the following comment useful.
Often Sad, Sometimes Surreal, Always Human, 21 December 2004
Author: Snow Leopard from Ohio

Fellini's "La Strada" is memorable, atmospheric, entertaining, thoughtful, and many other things. It is often sad, not even so much because of the things that happen, but simply for what it reveals about the human condition. It is sometimes surreal, not in a bizarre visual sense, but in the unexpected combinations of emotions that it sometimes evokes. And it is always human, commenting on individuals and humanity as a whole with a keen eye and with cinematic skill.

The three main characters make an odd and interesting mix of personalities. Anthony Quinn gives plenty of life to Zampano, who is hard to like, but hard not to have compassion for. Fellini's repeated filmings of Zampano's chain act bring out the pitiable side of his character even more so than the dramatic scenes do.

Giulietta Masina gives a rather stylized performance as Gelsomina, at times bearing a surprising resemblance to comics such as Harpo Marx or even Harry Langdon. Yet she is completely engaging and sympathetic, and she creates a memorable character. Richard Basehart likewise manages to make The 'Fool' an idiosyncratic, rather annoying, but again sympathetic character.

Fellini's approach, of course, adds much to the characters and to the story. Some of the vignettes, such as the wedding banquet sequence and the convent sequence, would stand up very well on their own with just a minimum of outside context. The camera is often used in subtle ways to bring out the symbolism or significance of the scene.

Nino Rota's music is also an essential part of making "La Strada" what it is, at times establishing an atmosphere all by itself. (And, while it is completely extraneous to an appreciation of "La Strada", there are moments when it is hard not to be reminded of Rota's score for "The Godfather".) Probably the only real weakness of the movie is the dubbing, which is too noticeable not to become distracting at times.

Finally, the movie is a worthy classic not least because Fellini, his cast, and his crew all work together to turn the lives of some very ordinary human beings into a worthwhile and sympathetic look at humanity.

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