antoniocasaca123 This Fellini film is an unforgettable experience. I have recently seen two high-level "neo-realist" films: Vittorio De Sica's "ladri di Biciclete" and Luis Bunuel's "los Olvidados". After seeing them, I thought it was almost impossible to see some "neo-realist" film superior to these two. But this "la strada" can still be up one level in relation to the films I mentioned. Giuletta Masina is simply amazing in her role of Gelsomina and Anthony Quinn is brilliant as Zampano. It's a cruel movie, being sensitive. It's a sensitive movie, being cruel. It's a movie like no other, of those who will be with us forever.

JLRVancouver "La Strada" is Fellini's poignant drama about a simple, naïve young women Gelsomina (Giulietta Masina) who is 'sold' by her mother to be the consort/assistant of Zampanò, a cruel, itinerant street performer (Anthony Quinn). The film follows the two as they travel though post-war Italy performing Zampanò's shabby one-man show for handouts. While working in a run-down circus, they encounter "Il Matto" (Richard Basehart), a talented performer who takes an immediate dislike to Zampanò and taunts the quick-tempered strongman at every opportunity. Gelsomina is torn between her aversion to the harsh, thoughtless Zampanò and a feeling of duty toward him, which she begins to believe is her purpose in life. As the sweet, fragile Gelsomina, Giulietta Masina is fascinating to watch. She has limited dialogue and much of her story is told in her face, which ranges from almost expressionless vacuity to great joy to profound sadness, as she struggles to get along with her brutish companion. Quinn and Basehart, playing contrasting, antagonistic characters, are also excellent. Winner of the first Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. Best seen in the original Italian, with subtitles if necessary.

Richie-67-485852 This movie came across as simple to view which is its strength. The story is down to earth and easy to track and another dynamic takes place that I so enjoy in certain movies. We get to capture for all time the streets, cities, background of these on-location shoots for all time. I like seeing how people dressed, what they ate, how they acted etc. and this film has plenty of that too. I have always enjoyed Anthony Quinn and this movie is no exception. The concept his character acts out is one of regret but not until he pushes what he can get a way with to the limit in this film as his character portrays. The ending is satisfying and one is allowed another dynamic that I look for in movies i.e. to ponder what happened after the film ended. Nicely done. Stay with this as in don't be in a hurry and you won't be disappointed for doing so. Why? Because .....

Prismark10 Others might see symbolism in the characters of this film based on the elements and director Federico Fellini certainly includes his familiar tropes in this film such as the sea, circus, clowns, beach, good women and prostitutes.To me this is a road picture of two not very bright people who end up together. Zampano (Anthony Quinn) has a circus strong man routine travelling around in a beat up camper van pulled by a motor cycle. His companion Rosa has died, he goes to tell the news to her mother and buys Rosa's younger sister as a replacement. Gelsomina (Giulietta Masina) who he brutally trains to be his assistant.Zampano is a brutish thug, a drinker, a womaniser. I was never convinced whether he loved or cared for Gelsomina, I believe she cares for him and even loved him.When both join a larger circus she comes into contact with the Fool (Richard Basehart) who is a clown and a high wire act. He is a sweet man to Gelsomina, even a kindred spirit but he senses that Gelsomina loves Zampano and maybe he loves her but cannot show it or say it because he just lacks the intelligence. The Fool like a few other people throughout the film offers her a way out from Zampano but she refuses.The Fool also has a deep dislike for Zampano, always taunting him and driving him to a rage. Eventually their path will cross again leaving Gelsomina mad and Zampano to abandon her. At the end Zampano is left unfolding his emotions to the sea. Maybe he eventually realised the love he has lost.There is distinctive music from Nina Rota. Actress Masina has a clown like way of movement which looked like Harpo Marx combined with Charlie Chaplin. You can see why the circus wanted her to stay. She had an inane sweetness in contrast with Quinn's Zampano whose only ability was the strongman act where he could break chains with his pectoral muscles. If he had any sense he might had realised that that being taunted by The Fool could had been incorporated into the circus act with beneficial results.There is a tragic undercurrent in this film very much from the first scene heightened by the black and white photography and Fellini's symbolism's which he revisited many times in the course of his career.