Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #13572 in DVD
• Released on: 2005-07-04
• Rating: Parental Guidance
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: Black & White, PAL
• Original language: Italian
• Subtitled in: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 104 minutes

Synopsis
Zampano (Anthony Quinn), a performer in a travelling carnival outside of Rome, purchases the young, poor Gelsomina (Giulietta Masina) to be his wife and assistant. Although she shows genuine enthusiasm as an assistant, putting on a fabulous clown act akin to Charlie Chaplin, nobody seems to appreciate her; she quietly endures a life of emotional coldness and cruelty. When she meets 'The Fool', Ilmatto (Richard Basehart), a quicksilver trapeze artist who befriends her and offers her warmth, kindness, and an uplifting vision of the world, Gelsomina convinces herself that she and Zampano are in love. She is plunged into despair, however, after Zampano interferes in a jealous rage, precipitating a tragedy that will haunt him forever. Federico Fellini establishes a style and certain key themes in this film that he repeats as trademarks in subsequent films: the beach as a symbol of purity and release; haunting, soft female singing as a symbol of memory; examinations of Catholics and their religion as a cult behaviour; and, above all, a chaotic, circus-oriented cyclical pattern that guides his films. The Oscar-winning LA STRADA is the perfect place from which to begin an exploration of Fellini's expertly crafted movies.

Customer Reviews

simply moving
The sweetest story ever, love brought to its mere essence, I was fascinated by all the characters' interpretation. Giulietta Masina - gelsomina - acts superbly.
Soundtrack is also adequately matching the whole environment.

Strongly recommended.

Beauty and the beast without the talking cutlery.
La strada is a beautifully crafted film, the acting might seem a bit contrived but this more to do with the characters rather than any lack of ability. It's about a circus strong man (Anthony Quinn) who takes a clownish girl (Giulietta Massina) on the road with him to help with his acts. An extremely odd 'Beauty and the Beast'esque love affair unfolds but this is anything but romantic, the first half is principally comedy but the film moves to tragedy for its second. Its very emotive and a great tale.

Unfortunately there are a few aspects that will alienate some viewers. It's Italian, and many people aren't too keen on subtitles; it's in black and white and although it is easily the most accessible of Fellini's films, its no hollywood rom-com. Many will find it dated, but if you give it a bit of time, then there is a hell of a lot to get out of it. Far more than the vast majority of modern films. So, if you're into this kind of thing, you should certainly enjoy it, and if you're not then this is a very good one to start on!

Deeply Moving Drama
This Federico Fellini movie about a couple of traveling performers never fails to make me cry. A simple minded young woman is forced to stay and work with a cruel ex-circus strong man who treats her badly. She however becomes quite close to him. A depressing but compelling piece with powerful emotional impact.