Fellini's "La Strada" are memorable, atmospherical, flirting with, attentive, and a lot another affairs. It's a great deal deplorable, not fifty-fifty such because by the affairs that bechance, simply barely for what them breaks almost the soul check. They're occasionally dreamlike, not in a bizarre vision, but in the forced combinings of emotions that it occasionally evokes. And it's always human, commenting on mortals and man in general 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's hard to like, but hard not to have compassion for. Fellini's repeated filmings of Zampano's chain act break the pitiable side of his character even more truthful than the dramatic scenes do.
Giulietta Masina gives a rather stylized performance as Gelsomina, from time to time bearing a surprising resemblance to comics such Harpo Marx or even Harry Langdon. Yet she's 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, naturally, adds much to the characters and to the story. Some of the vignettes, such the wedding banquet sequence and the convent sequence, would get up alright about their own with just a minimum of outside context. The camera is often used in subtle ways to break the symbolism or significance of the scene.
Nino Rota's music is also an essential part of making "La Strada" what it are, from time to time establishing an atmosphere all by itself. (And, while it is completely extraneous to an appreciation of "La Strada", there are moments when they're 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 now and again.
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 world into a worthwhile and sympathetic consider humanity.
The three main characters make an odd and interesting mix of personalities. Anthony Quinn gives plenty of life to Zampano, who's hard to like, but hard not to have compassion for. Fellini's repeated filmings of Zampano's chain act break the pitiable side of his character even more truthful than the dramatic scenes do.
Giulietta Masina gives a rather stylized performance as Gelsomina, from time to time bearing a surprising resemblance to comics such Harpo Marx or even Harry Langdon. Yet she's 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, naturally, adds much to the characters and to the story. Some of the vignettes, such the wedding banquet sequence and the convent sequence, would get up alright about their own with just a minimum of outside context. The camera is often used in subtle ways to break the symbolism or significance of the scene.
Nino Rota's music is also an essential part of making "La Strada" what it are, from time to time establishing an atmosphere all by itself. (And, while it is completely extraneous to an appreciation of "La Strada", there are moments when they're 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 now and again.
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 world into a worthwhile and sympathetic consider humanity.
