Review of La Strada (1954) by Bach P — 20 Jun 2008
How could you leave a woman with a face like Giulietta Masina's? For much of "La Strada", Zampano certainly could not. In Fellini's most human film, a circus strongman, Zampano, buys Gelsomina (Masina) from her family for a wealthy amount and teaches her the ropes as his sidekick and occasional wife.
Gelsomina is a curious character, she's like a child in an adult's body, she has a hard time understanding things, but when she does it hits her like a bullet. Her relationship with Zampano is difficult, he's a strong minded brute that snaps with the slightest of mistakes.
Together they go through thick and thin as a cast of characters, good and bad, weaves their relationship with one another. For Fellini, "La Strada" was his good bye to the world before he sunk into his personal films on his way to the manic "8 1/2" and beyond.
It's a beautiful, yet tragic story that finely balances itself between the real and the fantastical. Fellini hasn't jumped into the deep end yet, but you can feel he is on the plank the deeper the film gets.
What he does best in "La Strada" is really keep in touch with his main characters, we get touches of everything they feel at all times, no one is left out sitting in the rain. Some of his later films often lose sight of his characters and get a bit overwhelming, here Gelsomina and Zampano are never forgotten.
A simple and elegant film that began a director's eccentric but phenomenal career.
This review of La Strada (1954) was written by Bach P on 20 Jun 2008.
La Strada has generally received very positive reviews.
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