La Strada (1954) La strada (original title)

Director:

Federico Fellini

Writers:

Federico Fellini (story) &
Tullio Pinelli (story) ...
(more)

Release Date:

16 July 1956 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

You've been hearing about a great picture called La Strada (The Road)...now it is here!

Plot:

A carefree girl is sold to a traveling entertainer, consequently enduring physical and emotional pain along the way.

Plot Keywords:

Road | On The Road | Strongman | Emotional Abuse | Drunkenness

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 10 wins & 4 nominations

Cast

Anthony Quinn	...	Zampanò
Giulietta Masina	...	Gelsomina
Richard Basehart	...	Il Matto - The Fool
Aldo Silvani	...	Signor Giraffa
Marcella Rovere	...	La Vedova
Livia Venturini	...	La Suorina
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Gustavo Giorgi	...	(uncredited)
Yami Kamadeva	...	(uncredited)
Mario Passante	...	Waiter (uncredited)
Anna Primula	...	(uncredited)
Goffredo Unger	...	Man Restraining Zampano from Attacking Matto (uncredited)
Nazzareno Zamperla	...	Man Restraining Zampano from Attacking Matto (uncredited)

Directed by
Federico Fellini

Writing credits
Federico Fellini		(story and screenplay) &
Tullio Pinelli		(story and screenplay)
Tullio Pinelli		(dialogue)
Ennio Flaiano		(screenplay) (as Ennio Flajano)

Produced by
Dino De Laurentiis	....	producer
Carlo Ponti	....	producer

Original Music by
Nino Rota

Cinematography by
Otello Martelli		(director of photography)
Carlo Carlini		(uncredited)

Film Editing by
Leo Cattozzo		(film editor)

Production Design by
Mario Ravasco		(uncredited)

Art Direction by
Enrico Cervelli		(as E. Cervelli)
Brunello Rondi

Costume Design by
Margherita Marinari		(uncredited)

Makeup Department
Eligio Trani	....	makeup artist (as E. Trani)
Dante Trani	....	makeup artist (uncredited)

Production Management
Angelo Cittadini	....	production supervisor
Danilo Fallani	....	production supervisor
Luigi Giacosi	....	production manager
Giorgio Morra	....	production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Moraldo Rossi	....	assistant director

Art Department
Paolo Nuzzi	....	assistant art director
Tom Jung	....	poster artist (uncredited)
Tom Jung	....	poster designer (uncredited)

Sound Department
R. Boggio	....	sound
Aldo Calpini	....	sound (as A. Calpini)

Camera and Electrical Department
Roberto Gerardi	....	camera operator (as Roberto Girardi)
A. Piatti	....	still photographer

Editorial Department
Lina Caterini	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Franco Ferrara	....	musical director

Other crew
Marcello Partini	....	laboratories owner
Carol Riethof	....	director: Trans Lux English language version
Peter Riethof	....	director: Trans Lux English language version
Narciso Vicario	....	production secretary (as Narciso Vicari)
Herman G. Weinberg	....	title designer: English titles (credited in English version)
Arnoldo Foà	....	voice dubbing: Anthony Quinn (uncredited)
Cesare Polacco	....	voice dubbing: Aldo Silvani (uncredited)
Stefano Sibaldi	....	voice dubbing: Richard Basehart (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Ponti-De Laurentiis Cinematografica

Distributors

• Dino de Laurentiis Distribuzione (1954) (Italy) (theatrical)
• Trans Lux (1956) (USA) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• Ustredni Pujcovna Filmu (1962) (Czechoslovakia) (theatrical)
• Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) (1976) (USA) (TV) (network premiere)
• Embassy Home Entertainment (1886) (USA) (VHS) (subtitled)
• Embassy Home Entertainment (1986) (USA) (VHS) (dubbed)
• Criterion Collection, The (2003) (USA) (DVD) (subtitles)
• Homescreen (2003) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Madman Entertainment (2005) (Australia) (DVD)
• Madman Entertainment (2005) (New Zealand) (DVD)
• Homescreen (2008) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Atlantic Film (2007) (Sweden) (DVD)
• Homescreen (2010) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Constantin Film (1956) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Odeon (19??) (Hungary) (theatrical)
• Sovexportfilm (19??) (Soviet Union) (theatrical)
• Altomedia. Co. Ltd. (????) (Korea) (DVD)
• Altomedia. Co. Ltd. (????) (Korea) (VHS)
• Asociace Ceských Filmových Klubu (ACFK) (????) (Czech Republic) (DVD)
• Cinetel (????) (Hungary) (DVD)
• Janus Films (????) (USA) (TV)
• Kinowelt Home Entertainment (1999) (Germany) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Titra Sound Studios  recorded at: Trans Lux English language version

Also Known As:

"La strada" - Italy (original title)

Runtime:

108 min

Country:

Italy

Language:

Italian

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

Portugal:M/12 | New Zealand:R16 | Netherlands:6 (DVD rating) | USA:TV-PG | Argentina:16 | Australia:G | Australia:M (alternate rating) | Chile:18 | Finland:K-10 (1986) | Finland:K-16 (1956) | 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)

Filming Locations:

Bagnoregio, Viterbo, Lazio, Italy

Company:

Ponti-De Laurentiis Cinematografica

Trivia:

Anthony Quinn said in an interview a few years before his death that he originally accepted a deal that would have paid him a percentage of the profits this film generated instead of an upfront salary. When his agent found out about it, the agent changed the deal and insisted an upfront salary and no percentage. Quinn said that decision cost him several million dollars.

Goofs:

Continuity: The fire at the building in the mountains changes four times as Zampanò leaves Gelsomina. When he removes the tripod, it is ashes with one or two charcoal sticks, the next times there are more sticks, the next shot shows a large pile of sticks and the last shot of the fire shows it roaring with flames.

Quotes:

The Fool:I am ignorant, but I read books. You won't believe it, everything is useful... this pebble for instance.
Gelsomina:Which one?
The Fool:Anyone. It is useful.
Gelsomina:What for?
The Fool:For... I don't know. If I knew I'd be the Almighty, who knows all. When you are born and when you die... Who knows? I don't know for what this pebble is useful but it must be useful. For if its useless, everything is useless. So are the stars!

Movie Connections:

References L'Atalante (1934)

Soundtrack:

Down a Lonely Road

Often Sad, Sometimes Surreal, Always Human

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.