La strada (1954)

Director:

Federico Fellini

Writers:

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

Release Date:

16 July 1956 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

You've been hearing about a great picture called La Strada (The Road)...now it is here!

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 | Strongman | Emotional Abuse | Drunkenness

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 10 wins & 4 nominations

Cast

Anthony Quinn	...	Zampanò
Giulietta Masina	...	Gelsomina
Richard Basehart	...	Il Matto - The Fool
Aldo Silvani	...	Signor Giraffa
Marcella Rovere	...	La Vedova
Livia Venturini	...	La Suorina
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Gustavo Giorgi	...	(uncredited)
Yami Kamadeva	...	(uncredited)
Mario Passante	...	Waiter (uncredited)
Anna Primula	...	(uncredited)
Goffredo Unger	...	Man Restraining Zampano from Attacking Matto (uncredited)
Nazzareno Zamperla	...	Man Restraining Zampano from Attacking Matto (uncredited)

Directed by
Federico Fellini

Writing credits
Federico Fellini		(story and screenplay) &
Tullio Pinelli		(story and screenplay)
Tullio Pinelli		(dialogue)
Ennio Flaiano		(screenplay) (as Ennio Flajano)

Produced by
Dino De Laurentiis	....	producer
Carlo Ponti	....	producer

Original Music by
Nino Rota

Cinematography by
Otello Martelli		(director of photography)
Carlo Carlini		(uncredited)

Film Editing by
Leo Cattozzo		(film editor)

Production Design by
Mario Ravasco		(uncredited)

Art Direction by
Enrico Cervelli		(as E. Cervelli)
Brunello Rondi

Costume Design by
Margherita Marinari		(uncredited)

Makeup Department
Eligio Trani	....	makeup artist (as E. Trani)
Dante Trani	....	makeup artist (uncredited)

Production Management
Angelo Cittadini	....	production supervisor
Danilo Fallani	....	production supervisor
Luigi Giacosi	....	production manager
Giorgio Morra	....	production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Moraldo Rossi	....	assistant director

Art Department
Paolo Nuzzi	....	assistant art director
Tom Jung	....	poster artist (uncredited)
Tom Jung	....	poster designer (uncredited)

Sound Department
R. Boggio	....	sound
Aldo Calpini	....	sound (as A. Calpini)

Camera and Electrical Department
Roberto Gerardi	....	camera operator (as Roberto Girardi)
A. Piatti	....	still photographer

Editorial Department
Lina Caterini	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Franco Ferrara	....	musical director

Other crew
Marcello Partini	....	laboratories owner
Carol Riethof	....	director: Trans Lux English language version
Peter Riethof	....	director: Trans Lux English language version
Narciso Vicario	....	production secretary (as Narciso Vicari)
Herman G. Weinberg	....	title designer: English titles (credited in English version)
Arnoldo Foà	....	voice dubbing: Anthony Quinn (uncredited)
Cesare Polacco	....	voice dubbing: Aldo Silvani (uncredited)
Stefano Sibaldi	....	voice dubbing: Richard Basehart (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Ponti-De Laurentiis Cinematografica

Distributors

• Dino de Laurentiis Distribuzione (1954) (Italy) (theatrical)
• Trans Lux (1956) (USA) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• Ustredni Pujcovna Filmu (1962) (Czechoslovakia) (theatrical)
• Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) (1976) (USA) (TV) (network premiere)
• Embassy Home Entertainment (1886) (USA) (VHS) (subtitled)
• Embassy Home Entertainment (1986) (USA) (VHS) (dubbed)
• Criterion Collection, The (2003) (USA) (DVD) (subtitles)
• Homescreen (2003) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Madman Entertainment (2005) (Australia) (DVD)
• Madman Entertainment (2005) (New Zealand) (DVD)
• Homescreen (2008) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Atlantic Film (2007) (Sweden) (DVD)
• Homescreen (2010) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Constantin Film (1956) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Odeon (19??) (Hungary) (theatrical)
• Sovexportfilm (19??) (Soviet Union) (theatrical)
• Altomedia. Co. Ltd. (????) (Korea) (DVD)
• Altomedia. Co. Ltd. (????) (Korea) (VHS)
• Asociace Ceských Filmových Klubu (ACFK) (????) (Czech Republic) (DVD)
• Cinetel (????) (Hungary) (DVD)
• Janus Films (????) (USA) (TV)
• Kinowelt Home Entertainment (1999) (Germany) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Titra Sound Studios  recorded at: Trans Lux English language version

Also Known As:

"La strada" - International (imdb display title), UK (imdb display title), USA (imdb display title)
"Das Lied der Straße" - Austria, West Germany
"Gza" - Georgia (imdb display title), Soviet Union (Georgian title)
"La strada" - Argentina, Uruguay
"A Estrada" - Portugal
"A Estrada da Vida" - Brazil
"Cesta" - Czechoslovakia (Slovak title)
"La Strada - Tie" - Finland (imdb display title)
"La estrada" - Spain (alternative title)
"La strada" - Sweden (imdb display title)
"La strada" - Denmark (imdb display title)
"La strada" - France
"La strada" - Greece (reissue title)
"La strada" - Poland
"La strada - Landsvägen" - Sweden (TV title)
"Landeveien" - Norway
"Michi" - Japan
"Országúton" - Hungary
"Poulimeni ap' ti mitera tis" - Greece (transliterated ISO-LATIN-1 title)
"Silnice" - Czechoslovakia (Czech title)
"Sonsuz sokaklar" - Turkey (Turkish title)
"Tie" - Finland (alternative title)
"Ulica" - Serbia (imdb display title)

Runtime:

108 min

Country:

Italy

Language:

Italian

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

Portugal:M/12 | New Zealand:R16 | Netherlands:6 (DVD rating) | USA:TV-PG | Argentina:16 | Australia:G | Australia:M (alternate rating) | Chile:18 | Finland:K-10 (1986) | Finland:K-16 (1956) | 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:

Director Bille August cites "La Strada" as the film that first made him want to work in film when he saw it while still in school.

Goofs:

Continuity: The fire at the building in the mountains changes four times as Zampanò leaves Gelsomina. When he removes the tripod, it is ashes with one or two charcoal sticks, the next times there are more sticks, the next shot shows a large pile of sticks and the last shot of the fire shows it roaring with flames.

Quotes:

Zampanò:[reciting his act by rote before a crowd] Here we have a piece of chain that is a quarter of an inch thick. It is made of crude iron, stronger than steel. With the simple expansion of my pectoral muscles, or chest, that is, I'll break the hook.
[collecting money from the crowd]
Zampanò:Thank you, thank you. Now, to do this feat, I must fill myself up like a tire. If a blood vessel should break, I would spit blood. For instance, in Milan a man weighing 240 pounds lost his eyesight doing this trick. That is because the optical nerves take a beating, and once you lose your eyes, you are finished. If there's any delicate person in the audience, I would advise him to look away 'cause there could be blood.
[...]

Movie Connections:

References D.O.A. (1950)

Soundtrack:

La Strada Love Theme

Pure, surreal, a treat for the mind and heart

Often it is hard to find a romance which does not include actual romance - i.e. - liplock, hugging scenes. The viewer is overflowed with emotion because the film itself focuses on human emotion, and is a pure amusement to watch because of the many symbols. When Zampano tries to steal a silver heart from the church and Gelsomina pleads with him not to, we can only think of the cold silver heart, his sad action of trying to "steal" such an emotion as "love", Gelsomina's soft nature - this film overflows with such subtleties, but such subtleties! so impactful in conveying emotion..

Gelsomina's faith to Zampano is heartwrenching - she is presented with opportunities to leave Zampano, such as leaving to the nunnery or joining the circus, but she declines all. This fidelity builds up, only to have.. well, let's just say that Fellini is especially skillful in drawing your sympathy and then channeling for it in a single scene.. he knows how to focus and concentrate your emotion, I felt sort of violated after watching the film, since I rarely cry for movies! Also, if the symbolism does not stir a reader to interest, the amazing cinematography will. The tightrope act atop the city buildings, the motorbike rides, the Christ ceremony-

This movie is unpredictable and is interesting to watch, since it keeps the mind afloat with the different scenes which are packed with symbols and metaphors, wonderful puzzles to decipher. Since Fellini does not present it straight-forwardly, and rather wraps meaning in several layers of symbols, uncovering the truth becomes fulfilling for the viewer.

The way Fellini develops his characters is unforgettable. We feel their demise, but urge to see and understand more. I feel only Fellini can accomplish such a remarkable quality. And in case you didn't get the gist of my rating (and my ranting).. 4 stars. Please rent this and enjoy, Fellini's incredible! :o)