LA STRADA aka THE ROAD

Year: 1954
UK: BFI Collections
Cast: Anthony Quinn, Giulietta Masina, Richard Basehart, Aldo Silvani, Marcella Rovere, Livia Venturini
Director: Federico Fellini
Country: Italy
Language: Italian (English subtitles)
UK: 104 mins
UK Certificate: PG
UK Release Date: 9 November 2001 (Limited Re-release - London)

Synopsis

Zampanò (Anthony Quinn) is a travelling street entertainer who hires a peasant girl called Gelsomina (Giulietta Masina) and pays her mother as part of the deal. Zampanò forceably teaches Gelsomina to help him as if he was training an animal and he seduces her. When she attempts to form a relationship with him - he rejects her. When she flees - he tracks her down and assaults her.

Zampanò joins a circus with Gelsomina in tow. While there Zampanò's violent tendencies surface and he attacks a tightrope walker called Il Matto (The Fool) played by Richard Basehart. This time Zampanò is imprisoned for his actions.

While Zampanò is serving his time behind bars Gelsomina has an opportunity to escape the clutches of Zampanò and stay in a convent. She turns this down having been persuaded by Il Matto that Zampanò needs her and waits for his release instead.

On leaving prison Zampanò takes to the road and accidentally kills Il Matto. The psychological repercussions of this are too great for Gelsomina to deal with and it tips her over the edge as she loses her sanity. Zampanò is unable to understand Gelsomina's dependence on him and his on her and so leaves her. Several years later he hears that she died alone on a beach at night and he finally realises his dependence on her.