Every once in a while I come across a movie that's highly regarded by "everyone". This is one such film. To be frank, I don't understand all the hype around it. There are many much better movies than this.
First off, how could Gelsomina's family just sell her off - and to a brute like Zampanò! Strangely, Gelsomina offers no resistance. What's worst: this brute treats her horribly and yet she has the hots for him and even wants to marry him - and she refuses any chance to stay away from that gorilla! This woman can't be in her right mind to proceed that way....
Zampanò is the typical gorilla: he is a street rioter, intimidating, powerful, violent, brutish, drunk, entertains crowds by breaking an iron chain bound tightly across his chest. I liked the character "Il Matto - The Fool". He was quite fun, although he was a little crazy sometimes because he busted in laughter for anything, even if his laughters were hilarious. And it was hilarious when he threw a balt full of water on Zampanò.
Aside Gelsomina's impossible to understand crush on that gorilla, there are some other things I didn't understand. When Zampanò beat the hell out of "Il Matto", he just died after? He died from 2 or 3 beatings? Where did Zampanò hide his body? And when Zampanò pushed the car off the road, it just caught fire? It caught fire for being pushed off the road?
Anthony Quinn is great as Zampanò and Giulietta Masina is great as Gelsomina, but best of all was Richard Basehart as "Il Matto".
Then again, to understand all this positive feedback on this movie is beyond my comprehension but at least Bob Dylan must have liked it. He cites 'La Strada' as an influence for the famous The Byrds's classic song "Mr. Tambourine Man". At least he took something good from this.
First off, how could Gelsomina's family just sell her off - and to a brute like Zampanò! Strangely, Gelsomina offers no resistance. What's worst: this brute treats her horribly and yet she has the hots for him and even wants to marry him - and she refuses any chance to stay away from that gorilla! This woman can't be in her right mind to proceed that way....
Zampanò is the typical gorilla: he is a street rioter, intimidating, powerful, violent, brutish, drunk, entertains crowds by breaking an iron chain bound tightly across his chest. I liked the character "Il Matto - The Fool". He was quite fun, although he was a little crazy sometimes because he busted in laughter for anything, even if his laughters were hilarious. And it was hilarious when he threw a balt full of water on Zampanò.
Aside Gelsomina's impossible to understand crush on that gorilla, there are some other things I didn't understand. When Zampanò beat the hell out of "Il Matto", he just died after? He died from 2 or 3 beatings? Where did Zampanò hide his body? And when Zampanò pushed the car off the road, it just caught fire? It caught fire for being pushed off the road?
Anthony Quinn is great as Zampanò and Giulietta Masina is great as Gelsomina, but best of all was Richard Basehart as "Il Matto".
Then again, to understand all this positive feedback on this movie is beyond my comprehension but at least Bob Dylan must have liked it. He cites 'La Strada' as an influence for the famous The Byrds's classic song "Mr. Tambourine Man". At least he took something good from this.