La strada (1954)

User Rating:

8.2/10   

Director:

Federico Fellini

Writers:

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

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:

On The Road | Road | Strong Man | Widow | Italy

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
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Gustavo Giorgi	...	(uncredited)
Yami Kamadeva	...	(uncredited)
Mario Passante	...	Waiter (uncredited)
Anna Primula	...	(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
Carlo Carlini		(uncredited)

Film Editing by
Leo Cattozzo

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

Sound Department
R. Boggio	....	sound recordist
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
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

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

Also Known As:

The Road (USA) (literal English title)

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:

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:

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

Quotes:

The Fool: I am ignorant, but I read books. You won't believe it, everything is useful... this pebble for instance.
Gelsomina: Which one?
The Fool: Anyone. It is useful.
Gelsomina: What for?
The Fool: For... I don't know. If I knew I'd be the Almighty, who knows all. When you are born and when you die... Who knows? I don't know for what this pebble is useful but it must be useful. For if its useless, everything is useless. So are the stars!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Jasminum (2006)

Fellini's best film

Italy. Zampano is the only member of a circus act traveling across the country and performing for street charity. One day he buys a new member for his act, Gelsomina, a young and slightly retarded innocent woman. Traveling around the country and performing acts - Zampano is breaking the chains from his chest while Gelsomina is entertaining the audience dressed as a clown - the two of them come closer...

"The Road", winner of an Oscar for best foreign language film, is a real full blood masterpiece and in my opinion Federico Fellini's best achievement. If you are on the lookout for a spectacular movie with epic proportions and deep truths about life, then don't look here, or better said you will get to see the deepest truths about life through the most simple and child like elements and symbols, such as when Gelsomina raises her hand on the street to impersonate a branch of a tree. It's just the way this film is. And yet, he is so brilliant. Giulietta Masina is simply fantastic as the innocent ( and slightly retarded ) Gelsomina that does almost everything wrong and Anthony Quinn is also great as the grumpy Zampano who discovers his real emotions for her only at the end on the beach, when everything is too late.

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The tragic but uplifting story, presented in a form of a road movie, serves nothing more than as a vehicle for the 2 main characters to meet each other. Extremely touching and emotional, and always presented on a subtle base, while offering some bitter moments too ( Gelsomina trying to hide her tears from the nuns when she is leaving the church with Zampano who tried to rob the interior ). All completely spontaneous and magical. I could go on and on about how great "The Road" is, but I won't. Words do not do this film justice. You have to see it for yourself and you won't be disappointed. It's one of the most beautiful films of the 50s and Fellini achieved it with simple, raw, down to Earth elements from everyday life.

Grade: 10/10