Nights of Cabiria (1957)

A waifish prostitute wanders the streets of Rome looking for true love but finds only heartbreak.

Director:

Federico Fellini

Writers:

Federico Fellini, Ennio Flaiano (story)

Stars:

Giulietta Masina, François Périer, Franca Marzi

Won 1 Oscar. Another 16 wins & 8 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Giulietta Masina	...	Maria 'Cabiria' Ceccarelli
François Périer	...	Oscar D'Onofrio (as François Perier)
Franca Marzi	...	Wanda
Dorian Gray	...	Jessy
Aldo Silvani	...	The wizard
Ennio Girolami	...	Amleto, 'il magnaccia'
Mario Passante	...	Uncle of Amleto
Christian Tassou
Amedeo Nazzari	...	Alberto Lazzari

Storyline

Practising the world's oldest profession in the archaeological walk of Rome's Parco di Porta Capena, the trusting and stubbornly optimistic streetwalker, Cabiria, refuses to lose faith in love. After escaping death by the skin of her teeth, hurt, and momentarily disenchanted Cabiria continues to confront life with a mixture of naivety and arrogance, and one evening, she ventures into the elegant Via Veneto and gets picked up by the suave movie star, Alberto Lazzari. Now, once more, disappointment awaits, and as poor Cabiria preys to Virgin Mary for guidance and a blessing, the man of her prayers, Oscar D'Onofrio, barges into her life after a chance encounter at a vaudeville theatre. But do miracles happen?

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Plot Keywords:

prostitute | rescue from drowning | italian woman | rome italy | rome | 

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Taglines:

All Over the World...One of the Most Acclaimed Films of Our Time!

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Did You Know?

Trivia

This film is in the Official Top 250 Narrative Feature Films on Letterboxd.

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Goofs

When the pilgrims pass Cabiria in the night there is a close up of the naked feet of the women, but on the following wide shot they are wearing shoes.

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Quotes

Giorgio: [in Italian]
[first lines]
Giorgio: Go over there.
Maria 'Cabiria' Ceccarelli: [in Italian] It's beautiful. Come on.

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Alternate Versions

Nights of Cabiria has been available until recently only in poor quality videos. The Rialto Pictures version (the one released in theaters in 1998), including the additional "Man with the Sack" sequence, beautifully restored picture and sound, and a brand new translation, is available only from The Criterion Collection (DVD) and Homevision Cinema (DVD). Update 2019: The film has been restored in 4K from the interpositive and is now available for the first time on home video in a Blu Ray version that is comparable to a good 35mm print.

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Connections

References Io sono la Primula Rossa (1955)

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Soundtracks

Lla Ri' Lli Ra
Composed by Nino Rota
Lyrics by Enzo Bonagura

User Reviews

The Best Film I Know

I am not much in favor of "best" lists--I wouldn't make it in Cusack's "High Fidelity" world--but I can usually offer a range of titles of films that I consider the most powerful experiences I have had in front of a screen--Bicycle Thief, Ran, Ordet, Seventh Seal, Citizen Kane, L'Avventura, Rear Window, Blade Runner, quite a few others. But if I had to pick just one title, it would be Nights of Cabiria. I saw it when it first came out in this country--I was a junior in high school and fortunate enough to live near a theater that showed foreign films. It ran for several weeks and I kept going back to see it over and over, giving myself permission by dragging friends to see it. No one was ever disappointed, though only a couple of friends developed a comparable enthusiasm with mine. I have continued to see

it every chance I get, though I have not had the opportunity to see the latest reissue--I probably will have to see it on

video or dvd, since the city I now live in rarely shows any foreign films. Giulietta Massina gives not just the greatest

performance of her career, but surely one of the greatest

performances ever recorded on film, and the sequence of Cabiria's experiences, at first seemingly random and insignificant, adds up to one of the most profound statements Fellini ever made about human life.

Details

Country:

Italy France

Language:

Italian Latin

Release Date:

16 October 1957 (France)

Also Known As:

Nights of Cabiria

Filming Locations:

Stazione Termini, Rome, Lazio, Italy

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$38,988, 5 July 1998

Gross USA:

$752,045

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$755,319

Company Credits

Production Co:

Dino de Laurentiis Cinematografica, Les Films Marceau

Technical Specs

Runtime:

110 min 117 min (restored)

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1