La strada (1954)

Director:

Federico Fellini

Writers:

Federico Fellini (story) &
Tullio Pinelli (story) ...

Release Date:

16 July 1956 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

A carefree girl is sold to a traveling entertainer, consequently enduring physical and emotional pain along the way.

Plot Keywords:

Road | On The Road | Widow | Neorealism | Traveling Circus

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 8 wins & 4 nominations

Cast

Anthony Quinn	...	Zampanò
Giulietta Masina	...	Gelsomina
Richard Basehart	...	Il Matto
Aldo Silvani	...	Signor Giraffa
Marcella Rovere	...	La Vedova
Livia Venturini	...	La Suorina

Also Known As:

The Road (USA) (literal English title)
Das Lied der Straße (Austria) (West Germany) [de]
A Estrada (Portugal) [pt]
A Estrada da Vida (Brazil) [pt]
Cesta (Czechoslovakia: Slovak title) [sk]
Gza (Soviet Union: Georgian title) [ka]
La strada (France) [fr]
La strada (Greece) (reissue title) [el]
La strada (Poland) [pl]
La strada (Argentina) [es]
La strada - landsvägen (Sweden) [sv]
Landeveien (Norway) [no]
Michi (Japan) [ja]
Országúton (Hungary) [hu]
Poulimeni ap' ti mitera tis (Greece) [el]
Silnice (Czechoslovakia: Czech title) [cs]
Sonsuz sokaklar (Turkey: Turkish title) [tr]
Tie (Finland) [fi]

Runtime:

108 min

Country:

Italy

Language:

Italian

Color:

Black and White

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

Portugal:M/12 | New Zealand:R16 | Argentina:16 | Australia:G | Australia:M (alternate rating) | Chile:18 | Finland:K-10 (1986) | Finland:K-16 | Norway:16 | Sweden:15 | Switzerland:16 (canton of the Grisons) | West Germany:16 | Singapore:PG | Norway:15 (1995) | UK:PG (video rating) | UK:A (original rating)

Filming Locations:

Bagnoregio, Viterbo, Lazio, Italy

Company:

Ponti-De Laurentiis Cinematografica

Trivia:

Anthony Quinn said in an interview a few years before his death that he originally accepted a deal that would have paid him a percentage of the profits this film generated instead of an upfront salary. When his agent found out about it, the agent changed the deal and insisted an upfront salary and no percentage. Quinn said that decision cost him several million dollars.

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: Camera shadow visible when Zampano rides off with Red.

Quotes:

The Fool: What a funny face! Are you a woman, really? Or an artichoke?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990)

Fantastic, fantastic, fantastic!

I saw this film in 1954 and every Fellini film since. Basehart and Quinn under Fellini's skillful direction add a chemistry to Masina's portrayal of innocence that is incredible. I would argue this is Fellini's best film. Everything works. It is so full of little things, from the farm folk hired as extras to the rubber boots worn by Quinn striding into the ring to do his corny strongman act. Fellini nearly drove Masina crazy during the filming-- he wouldn't let her bath or wash her hair for weeks on end-- but, the end result speaks for itself. There are some excellent comments on this film elsewhere in this section. I suggest you read them. I can only say, this is one of the great films.