La Strada (1954)

In Fellini's masterpiece, La Strada (The Road), Anthony Quinn plays a traveling performing artist, the great Zampano, and his sidekick is Gelsomina, played beautifully by Guiellta Massina. They travel from place to place. At one circus they meet a daredevil clown named "Il Matto"/"The Fool" played by Richard Basehart, who has a pivotal scene with Gelsomina. Fellini insisted on having Quinn and Basehart in these roles; he thought they were perfect for these parts, and I agree, they are. Their dialogue is dubbed by Italian actors (actually all the dialogue is dubbed, even the Italian-language roles) and their appearances made this an international hit film.

Some think this sequence is critical
of religion because it shows the
procession in a pompous way.
I didn't take it that way.
I think this scene shows further
development of her
character's spirituality and morality.

There's much that could be written about this allegorical film, and much has. The first time I saw this was in a film appreciation class devoted to Fellini. The course instructor said that ever since the movie came out, people have been arguing over its meaning.

In this post, I will share my take on some of the scenes discussed in the class, especially those that have kept me thinking ever since I first saw it. Note: there will be spoilers ahead.



To me, Gelsomina represents impressionible, childlike innocence. When she first watches Zampano perform, she doesn't even know how to react, and looks around for the cue of others. Zampano and The Fool can represent two sides of the nature of man, the bad and the good.

Here are some other thought provoking questions that I continue to ask myself about this film.
This is sometimes described as a "neorealist" film. Is it really?

My take: No. In a neo-realistic film you will find a political message and/or a statement about society, and we don't see that in this film. Like in I Vitelloni, this film is has no specific setting, and could take place in a number of locales.


How did Rosa die?

I might have missed it, but I don't think it was explained. Could Rosa have been beaten to death by Zampano? It's possible.

During the wedding scene, what did you make of the part when the little kids take Gelsomina up to see the little boy in the attic, and she looks at him and smiles? Why is she so interested in him?

I think the boy reminded her of herself when she was his age. I think she might have been bedridden and hidden from other people too. I thought there would be a follow up scene with Gelsomina going back up to see him again, but Fellini doesn't show the upstairs room again. It's interesting to note that right after this scene, Gelsomina decides to run away from the brutal Zampano. Something inside of her told her to get out.

What did you make of Catholic procession scene?

Why does Fellini frame the shot like this?

It looks like Fellini filmed a real procession here for this sequence. Such processions can be found in Mexico and other countries with a large Catholic population. In this part of the story, Gelsomina has escaped from Zampano, and she is experiencing a new freedom for the first time. She's also alone for the first time, and very impressionable. I love the shots of her delighting in a small bug she picks from the ground, or looking into a storefront. Such an innocent creature. I think this scene is meant to show her budding spirituality. Fellini implies that she goes to the mass because we see the inside of the church, and the scene cuts; we don't see Gelsomina praying or experiencing the mass. I also find this overheard shot with the saloon's sign to be an interesting juxstaposition; why does Fellini frame this shot this way? Perhaps it is to show that Gelsomina could head down several roads now that she is free from Zampano – she could become involved with the church, perhaps play music or even become a nun herself, or she could choose to be a saloon performer, and associate with a different crowd.

When Gelsomina and Zampanò spent the night in the convent, did they steal the silver?

I think they did, which is why she cries when they pull away from the convent. Zambano was so forceful that he likely forced her into stealing them. Fellini never shows them doing the deed (or not doing it).

Why does The Fool tease Zampano?

I'm not sure why. Fellini only tells us that they knew of each other before, and they clearly don't like each other when they are reunited. I think Zampano must have said or done something to him in the past to make him disrupt the circus like that. It could have been a physical fight, or he might have said something to really offend him.

Why does Zampanò go to the beach at the end? And why does he look into the sky?

I think he's suddenly realizing that he's totally alone in the world. This might even be a spiritual moment for him. Why does he go into the water? I think perhaps he wanted to go to the beach where Gelsomina died, so he could be there in some way to pay his respects. Some people in the class though he was trying to cleanse himself, which is why he walks into the water, but I don't think so. He breaks down because this is the lowest point in his life. He's in so much inner pain. I think he's realizing what Gelsomina really meant to her. Also, I'm wondering if he felt the same way when Rosa died. It's interesting that the movie begins and ends on the beach.

Another review from the blog Wide Screen World

Another take from the blog Confessions of a Film Philistine

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Note: this post has been submitted to a special series of posts devoted to understanding Catholicism at Jackie's blog My Mother Wears Combat Boots. The series is called Catholicism 101 and if you are interested in Catholicism you can check out more here: http://2jackies.blogspot.com/2010/11/catholicism-101_25.html