277. La strada/The Road (1954)

Running Time: 109 minutes
Directed By: Federico Fellini
Written By: Federico Fellini, Tullio Pinelli
Main Cast: Anthony Quinn, Giulietta Masina, Richard Basehart

ON MY JOURNEY I MET A MAN NAMED 'FELLINI'

Note: I couldn't find a trailer for "La strada", but I'm going to keep with my revised style of review. Enjoy!

The first thing that I'm going to have to realize when viewing Federico Fellini's films', is that he's just a filmmaker and that while his films are regarded as some of the best films ever made, he is simply a filmmaker. I didn't think "La strada" was terrible, in fact I liked it, but I think I would've enjoyed it much more if I didn't have this predetermined image of Fellini in my head that says "This man is the greatest and if you're going to be a film fan, then you MUST love his films." Don't worry, it will eventually work out and I'm sure I'll ultimately settle into his movies.

If I had to pick a favorite element of "La strada", I'd have to say that hands down the character development was off the charts. These were real life characters and as a viewer, I really cared what happened to him, no matter how much I liked or disliked the film itself. They were so complex and fleshed out that you really couldn't help but care about them. Zampano was the most complex, and Anthony Quinn did an amazing job portraying him. This is a character that seemed to have constant thoughts swirling through his head, despite his brute and gruff exterior. Giulietta Masina was slightly annoying as Gelsomina, the strongman Zampano's assistant. However, despite her annoying persona, this is a character that undergoes a transformation during the course of the film, starting out as an innocent, simple minded girl, just glad to be getting the opportunity to see the world and eventually developing thoughts of suicide. My favorite character would have to be "The Fool" Il Matto, who's speech on the meaning of life and how EVERYTHING (including the tiniest of pebbles) has meaning in this world, really touched me and was the turning point in the film for me. I loved the line that is delivered by Il Matto, where he compares Zampano to a dog that wants to speak, but can only bark. The ending was great, although tragic and Hollywood could take a note or two, that films don't always have to have happy endings. Sometimes just the sight of a brute man, weeping on the beach is enough, especially when a scene where there is no dialogue says so much.

I like to think that movies are great, unique, unfeasible, tragic or joyous tales that are just yearning to be told. When a movie isn't good, then it's because the story didn't have the elements to make it a "must-be-told" story and didn't deserve to have a film made about it. On the other hand, when a film is really good, it's because the tale was so fabulous and amazing that it scored big time, either on a personal level or to a mass audience. If that is true, then this is a tale that must be told, as it chronicles the journey that Gelsomina was put on when she was plucked from her poverty stricken home and taken on the road with the strongman Zampano and pushed into the public eye, bringing joy and laughter to the world as a clown. That is a great story, and can compare to any underdog story, because who knew that poor Gelsomina could make it so far in the world and touch two lives so deeply.

Maybe that last paragraph didn't make any sense or maybe it did, I don't know. But I'm sticking with it, because it sounds pretty good to me.

RATING: 6/10 Not a great movie, but not a bad one either and it makes me anxious to see more Fellini.

MOVIES WATCHED: 147
MOVIES LEFT TO WATCH: 854

September 20, 2010 4:00pm