Le notti di Cabiria (1957)

Director:

Federico Fellini

Writers:

Federico Fellini (story) &
Ennio Flaiano (story) ...
(more)

Release Date:

26 May 1957 (Italy)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

A waifish prostitute wanders the streets of Rome looking for true love but finding only heartbreak.

Plot Keywords:

House | Shrine | Accountant | Movie Star | Prostitute

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 14 wins & 3 nominations

Cast

Giulietta Masina	...	Maria 'Cabiria' Ceccarelli
François Périer	...	Oscar D'Onofrio (as François Perier)
Franca Marzi	...	Wanda
Dorian Gray	...	Jessy
Aldo Silvani	...	Il mago
Ennio Girolami	...	Amleto, 'il magnaccia'
Mario Passante	...	Lo storpio alla processione
Christian Tassou
Amedeo Nazzari	...	Alberto Lazzari
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Gianni Baghino	...	(uncredited)
Franco Balducci	...	(uncredited)
Ciccio Barbi	...	(uncredited)
Jusy Boncinelli	...	(uncredited)
Loretta Capitoli	...	Rosy (uncredited)
Leo Cattozzo	...	Il ladro della borsetta (uncredited)
Dominique Delouche	...	Il prete con la bandiera (uncredited)
Edda Evangelista	...	(uncredited)
Franco Fabrizi	...	Giorgio (uncredited)
Riccardo Fellini	...	(uncredited)
Ines Ferrari	...	(uncredited)
Giovanna Gattinoni	...	La zia nana (uncredited)
Amedeo Girardi	...	(uncredited)
Pina Gualandri	...	Matilda (uncredited)
Elio Mauro	...	(uncredited)
Nino Milano	...	(uncredited)
Jean Mollier	...	(uncredited)
Sandro Moretti	...	Un papponcello (uncredited)
Sergio Parlato	...	(uncredited)
Polidor	...	Il fratticello (uncredited)
Mimmo Poli	...	(uncredited)
María Luisa Rolando	...	Marisa (uncredited)
Vittorio Tosti	...	(uncredited)

Directed by
Federico Fellini

Writing credits
Federico Fellini		(story and screenplay) &
Ennio Flaiano		(story and screenplay) &
Tullio Pinelli		(story and screenplay)
Pier Paolo Pasolini		(screenplay)
Maria Molinari		novel

Produced by
Dino De Laurentiis	....	producer

Original Music by
Nino Rota

Cinematography by
Aldo Tonti
Otello Martelli		(uncredited)

Film Editing by
Leo Cattozzo		(as Leo Catozzo)

Production Design by
Piero Gherardi

Costume Design by
Piero Gherardi

Makeup Department
Dante Trani	....	makeup artist
Eligio Trani	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Luigi De Laurentiis	....	production manager
Emimmo Salvi	....	production supervisor

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

Art Department
Brunello Rondi	....	artistic advisor

Sound Department
Oscar Di Santo	....	sound
Roy Mangano	....	sound

Camera and Electrical Department
Otello Martelli	....	additional cinematographer (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Adriana Olasio	....	assistant editor
Narciso Vicario	....	editing secretary

Music Department
Pasquale Bonagura	....	composer: song "Lla Ri Lli Ra"
Franco Ferrara	....	conductor

Other crew
Manolo Bolognini	....	production secretary
Dominique Delouche	....	production assistant
Paolo Nuzzi	....	production assistant

Production Companies

• Dino de Laurentiis Cinematografica
• Les Films Marceau

Distributors

• Lopert Pictures Corporation (1957) (USA) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• Paramount Italiana (1957) (Italy) (theatrical)
• Criterion Collection, The (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Rialto Pictures (1998) (USA) (re-release)
• Sovexportfilm
• VTI Home Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)
• Versátil Home Vídeo (Brazil) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Edizione Musicale Dino  music published by

Also Known As:

Nights of Cabiria (UK) (USA)
Les nuits de Cabiria (France)

Runtime:

110 min | USA:117 min (restored version)

Country:

Italy | France

Language:

Italian

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Certification:

South Korea:15 (2003) | Australia:M | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | Switzerland:16 (canton of the Grisons) | UK:PG

Filming Locations:

Acilia, Rome, Lazio, Italy

Company:

Dino de Laurentiis Cinematografica

Trivia:

During the editing of this film, editor Leo Cattozzo developed the CIR self-perforating adhesive tape splicer (also known as "Costruzione Incollatrici Rapide", "the Cattozzo", Guillotine-, CIRO- or ARRI Splicer) which made him rich in the 1960s and for which he won an Academy Award in 1989.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Cinecittà: La casa di F. Fellini (2004) (V)

"Dum Spiro – Spero" - While there's life there's hope.

I would not argue that there could be better films made before and after Cabiria. Perhaps. But there never will be another "Nights of Cabiria" - the last Fellini's film with the linear structure, his third and the most successful collaboration with his actress wife, Giulietta Masina, his immortal love letter to her. Of all his characters, Fellini once said, Cabiria was the only one he was still worried about. Of all the characters, I've seen in the films, Cabiria is the one I often think about - what ever happened to her? Did she survive? Was she able to find love?

I've never seen the face so alive, changing its expression every moment. If the face is the soul's mirror, Cabiria's (Masina's) face reflects her every single emotion and how effortlessly she goes from bitter cynicism to wistful yearning, from despair to hope, from tears to smile. While there's life there's hope. As long as Cabiria smiles in the end of this tragicomic masterpiece, there is hope for all of us.