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Le notti di Cabiria (1957) More at IMDbPro »

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The two emotions that make this film unbelievable, 30 August 2008

Author: Olivian BREDA from Bucharest, Romania

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

I think there's just two reasons to make make this film the most beautiful thing I've ever seen on screen. I have yet to see a more beautiful movie. I'll explain below.

The first is the play of emotions. At first Cabiria is upset after falling in the water. Then she smiles and laughs. Then she's upset. This transformation of emotions makes you throughout the movie want to see her smile. And when she laughs you're in heaven. With her. This is one reason: transformation of emotions, and your wish for Cabiria to get to laugh.

The second thing that moved me with all my emotions was her reaction to sufferance. In her life she suffered before the movie (bad parents, prostitution, social status, poverty), throughout the movie (although her way of living rarely show you her sufferance in the movie, you feel she's very happy), and probably after the movie ends (again, bad future most likely). At the final part of the movie the pain is excruciating. She loses everything that connects her to the life (all her money & house), love (lover), social status (marriage) and some hope (in life and Virgin Mary). This is all in one scene. Actually, all she has left are her friends and possibly a suitcase. And then it happens: she's happy. In the very final part her reaction is: she yells, while crying, to the rubbing lover to kill her. She repeats this. And the final scene is a victory on life. Sure, her life was, is (oh, boy, what must her feelings be right now) and will be filled with pain. But he takes this reality, a certain fact, nothing's more concrete than this, and twists it: she's happy. In a face of tears, after a horrifying painful experience, she looks at the unsuspecting people around her that are joyful, happy, friendly, and takes their feeling: she smiles, almost laughing. There is no reality. The sufferance is beaten. Life has no hard touch on her. This is much more than hope. She is not wishing for a better future. She's living it now. Life is transformed with her final joy.

I have yet to see a better movie. It's the one movie for which: I registered on IMDb, I voted, I read all the comments, I wrote this comment. No second place. My current top movies: this movie and below this everything else. There's not another movie I would recommend to anyone older than 15.

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