Thursday, September 25, 2014
Tuesday, September 16, 2014
La Strada: Fellini and the Genius of Anthony Quinn
Important films in the pantheon of cinema history
are often not recognized as such until decades after their release. This
was definitely not the case, however, with La Strada
(1954). Revered French film critic Andre Bazin’s reaction to the film
announced, “Federico Fellini has here achieved one of those very rare
films, of which we forget that they are movies and accept them simply as
a masterpiece.”
La Strada (The Street) is the
film that first brought superstardom to Italian director Fellini. In
telling the story of Zampano, a brutal carnival strongman who purchases
Gelsomina, a simple peasant girl, from her family to help him in his
act, Fellini created a cinematic bridge between his work as one of the
auteurs of European post-war neo-realism and his later autobiographical
expressionistic works, such as La Dolce Vita and 8 1/2.
The movie’s narrative follows the two
impoverished characters as they tour the countryside performing. Zampano
puts Gelsomina to work as a clown, and treats her badly, yet she
remains faithful until a chance meeting with a tightrope walker alters
their fate.
Fellini was one of the great humanists of the
film world. He created characters that do whatever it takes to survive,
and in creating them, he offers no judgment; only compassion, sorrow, or
joy when they find redemption.
La Strada won over 50 international
awards, including a Best Foreign Language Oscar. Fellini’s wife,
Giulietta Masina, played the role written for her Chaplinesque talents
to perfection, and it became a turning point in her long career.
American actor Anthony Quinn’s powerful portrayal of the brutish Zampano
brought him long-overdue critical and popular acclaim. Nino Rota’s
score, an essential part of the film, was also a smash hit, selling an
astounding 2 million copies.
For more background and critique:
Monday, September 15, 2014
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