{"id":82241,"date":"2022-03-19T09:15:12","date_gmt":"2022-03-19T16:15:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=82241"},"modified":"2022-11-25T12:15:34","modified_gmt":"2022-11-25T19:15:34","slug":"strada-la-1954","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=82241","title":{"rendered":"Strada, La (1954)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>&#8220;Are you really a woman? You look like an artichoke.&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\n<table>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/La-Strada-Poster.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/La-Strada-Poster-216x300.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"216\" height=\"300\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-82242\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/La-Strada-Poster-216x300.png 216w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/La-Strada-Poster-92x128.png 92w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/La-Strada-Poster-194x270.png 194w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/La-Strada-Poster.png 596w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 216px) 100vw, 216px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Synopsis:<\/strong><br \/>\nWhen a simple-minded young woman (Giuletta Masina) is purchased by a brutish strongman (Anthony Quinn) to be his assistant in his traveling act, she soon encounters a whole new world of people and places &#8212; including a silly Fool (Richard Basehart) who likes to goad Quinn to dangerous degrees. Will Masina stay by Quinn&#8217;s side through thick and thin, or strike out on her own?\n<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p>\n<strong>Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Anthony Quinn Films<\/li>\n<li>Carnivals and Circuses<\/li>\n<li>Domestic Abuse<\/li>\n<li>Federico Fellini Films<\/li>\n<li>Italian Films<\/li>\n<li>Richard Basehart Films<\/li>\n<li>Road Trip<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Response to Peary&#8217;s Review: <\/strong><br \/>\nPeary writes that &#8220;along with <a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=32382\"><em>The Bicycle Thief<\/em><\/a>, Federico Fellini&#8217;s classic is the most loved of Italy&#8217;s neorealist films of the post-WWII era.&#8221; It features Giuletta Masina as &#8220;a poor, innocent simpleton&#8221; who has &#8220;no sense of self-worth to begin with,&#8221; and &#8220;is made to feel even more inconsequential by [Quinn&#8217;s] insensitive brute who drinks heavily, sleeps with other women, insults her talents&#8230;, and beats her as if she were a dog.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/La-Strada-Drum-Beating.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/La-Strada-Drum-Beating.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"889\" height=\"663\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-82249\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/La-Strada-Drum-Beating.png 889w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/La-Strada-Drum-Beating-300x224.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/La-Strada-Drum-Beating-128x95.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/La-Strada-Drum-Beating-768x573.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/La-Strada-Drum-Beating-362x270.png 362w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 889px) 100vw, 889px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Masina&#8217;s Gelsomina gets numerous offers to leave her life and start anew &#8212; including to &#8220;join a circus, run off with a clown and tightrope walker&#8230; or stay in a convent&#8221; &#8212; but &#8220;she becomes convinced that Quinn really does need her,&#8221; and &#8220;perhaps he loves her.&#8221; Peary asserts that &#8220;Masina mugs too much,&#8221; but concedes &#8220;she&#8217;s captivating. With a round face, dimples, and large, expressive eyes, she has the look of a clown&#8221; and will &#8220;remind you of a cross between Harpo Marx, Charlie Chaplin, and a puppy.&#8221; <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/La-Strada-Masina8.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/La-Strada-Masina8.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"886\" height=\"661\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-82250\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/La-Strada-Masina8.png 886w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/La-Strada-Masina8-300x224.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/La-Strada-Masina8-128x95.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/La-Strada-Masina8-768x573.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/La-Strada-Masina8-362x270.png 362w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 886px) 100vw, 886px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Peary argues that her &#8220;serious scenes don&#8217;t really work because her temporary switch from gamine to disgruntled adult is too swift,&#8221; and &#8220;the result is that her performance seems inconsistent, although the real problem is with the character.&#8221; He further adds that &#8220;Quinn&#8217;s character is also a bit hard to figure out &#8212; it&#8217;s true that the bigger they are, the harder they fall, but when the mighty Quinn lies in a drunken heap, what is he thinking?&#8221; <\/p>\n<p>I don&#8217;t share Peary&#8217;s concerns about either character. While it&#8217;s true that Gelsomina undergoes significant changes, this is because she&#8217;s been thrown out into the world for the first time and is finally meeting a wide range of people. She&#8217;s learning that she doesn&#8217;t have to simply comply and fit in and &#8220;act dumb&#8221;. Meanwhile, Quinn&#8217;s character (as Martin Scorsese &#8212; a huge fan of the film &#8212; has pointed out), is representative of so many violent men who simply can&#8217;t see farther than their next carnal need, which eventually leads to self-destruction; kind and\/or lusty, fun-loving women may be waiting in the wings for awhile, but not indefinitely. <\/p>\n<p>Basehart&#8217;s character, however, is perhaps the most intriguing in the entire film. This &#8220;fool&#8221; &#8212; first seen walking on a highwire (though surely this is a double&#8230;): <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/La-Strada-Tightrope.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/La-Strada-Tightrope.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"918\" height=\"657\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-82251\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/La-Strada-Tightrope.png 918w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/La-Strada-Tightrope-300x215.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/La-Strada-Tightrope-128x92.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/La-Strada-Tightrope-768x550.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/La-Strada-Tightrope-377x270.png 377w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 918px) 100vw, 918px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&#8212; becomes a pivotal character in the storyline, given that he can&#8217;t help telling the truth and calling out hypocrisy, at risk of his own safety. <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/La-Strada-Artichoke.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/La-Strada-Artichoke-1024x763.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"477\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-82244\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/La-Strada-Artichoke-1024x763.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/La-Strada-Artichoke-300x224.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/La-Strada-Artichoke-128x95.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/La-Strada-Artichoke-768x572.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/La-Strada-Artichoke-362x270.png 362w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/La-Strada-Artichoke.png 1445w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Finally, as Peary points out, the film provides &#8220;memorable glimpses of [the] Italian countryside, crowded villages, [and] excitement over rituals (weddings, religious parades, circus acts).&#8221; Indeed, we see an entire world on display here &#8212; one that has left an indelible mark on cinematic history.   <\/p>\n<p><strong>Note:<\/strong> Richard Basehart has been an interesting actor to get to know through watching him in a wide range of titles and roles &#8212; from Maximilian Robespierre in Anthony Mann&#8217;s <a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=38506\"><em>Reign of Terror<\/em> (1949)<\/a>, to a fearful corporal in Sam Fuller&#8217;s <a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=81848\"><em>Fixed Bayonets!<\/em> (1951)<\/a>, to an alcoholic priest in Jean Negulesco&#8217;s <a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=48649\"><em>Titanic<\/em> (1953)<\/a>, to his role as Ishmael in John Huston&#8217;s <a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=81303\"><em>Moby Dick<\/em> (1956)<\/a>, to this Italian film with Fellini (he was living in Rome at the time he was cast). What an unusual and varied career.  <\/p>\n<p><strong>Notable Performances, Qualities, and Moments: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Giuletta Masina as Gelsomina<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/La-Strada-Masina.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/La-Strada-Masina-1024x771.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"482\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-82243\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/La-Strada-Masina-1024x771.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/La-Strada-Masina-300x226.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/La-Strada-Masina-128x96.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/La-Strada-Masina-768x579.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/La-Strada-Masina-358x270.png 358w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/La-Strada-Masina.png 1427w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Anthony Quinn as Zampano<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/La-Strada-Quinn.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/La-Strada-Quinn.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"907\" height=\"665\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-82246\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/La-Strada-Quinn.png 907w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/La-Strada-Quinn-300x220.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/La-Strada-Quinn-128x94.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/La-Strada-Quinn-768x563.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/La-Strada-Quinn-368x270.png 368w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 907px) 100vw, 907px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Richard Basehart as the Fool<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/La-Strada-Basehart2.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/La-Strada-Basehart2.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"949\" height=\"661\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-82245\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/La-Strada-Basehart2.png 949w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/La-Strada-Basehart2-300x209.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/La-Strada-Basehart2-128x89.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/La-Strada-Basehart2-768x535.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/La-Strada-Basehart2-388x270.png 388w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 949px) 100vw, 949px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Otello Martelli&#8217;s cinematography<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/La-Strada-Still.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/La-Strada-Still.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"897\" height=\"661\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-82247\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/La-Strada-Still.png 897w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/La-Strada-Still-300x221.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/La-Strada-Still-128x94.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/La-Strada-Still-768x566.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/La-Strada-Still-366x270.png 366w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 897px) 100vw, 897px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Nino Rota&#8217;s score <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Must See? <\/strong><br \/>\nYes, as a foreign classic. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Categories<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Foreign Gem<\/li>\n<li>Important Director<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p> (<span style=\"color:red;font-weight:bold;\">Listed in <a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?page_id=1458\"><em>1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die<\/em><\/a><\/span>) <\/p>\n<p><strong>Links: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt0047528\/\">IMDb entry<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tcm.com\/tcmdb\/title\/80554\/la-strada#articles-reviews?articleId=17950\">TCM Article<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/wp-srv\/style\/longterm\/movies\/videos\/lastradanrkempley_a0a400.htm\">Washington Post Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dvdtalk.com\/dvdsavant\/s1034strad.html\">DVD Savant Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.timeout.com\/movies\/la-strada\">Time Out Capsule Review<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;Are you really a woman? You look like an artichoke.&#8221; Synopsis: When a simple-minded young woman (Giuletta Masina) is purchased by a brutish strongman (Anthony Quinn) to be his assistant in his traveling act, she soon encounters a whole new world of people and places &#8212; including a silly Fool (Richard Basehart) who likes to goad Quinn to dangerous degrees. Will Masina stay by Quinn&#8217;s side through thick and thin, or strike out on her own? Genres, Themes, Actors, and&#8230;<\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more\"><a class=\"btn btn-default\" href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=82241\"> Read More<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">  Read More<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-82241","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-responses-to-peary"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/82241","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=82241"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/82241\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":88455,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/82241\/revisions\/88455"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=82241"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=82241"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=82241"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}