La Strada
Seen it?1954 | 115 min | Drama
Friday Night FlickWhy it’s a Friday Night Flick
Critics loved it (98% on Rotten Tomatoes), audiences rate it highly (7.9 out of 10), it won an Oscar and it was a solid box office hit. Make plans for this one.
Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.Is it for you?
- Who'll love it
- Made for anyone who loves a strong drama. If you loved The Hurricane or The Silence of the Lambs, start here. Critics rate it higher than audiences do, so it rewards patience more than it chases thrills.
- The mood
- Thoughtful and character-driven.
- The pace
- Takes its time with its characters, at 1 hr 55 min.
- What might put you off
- It's in Italian, so expect subtitles (or a dub).
- Made in 1954: an older pace and style.
- Audiences were cooler on it than critics.
When Gelsomina, a naïve young woman, is purchased from her impoverished mother by brutish circus strongman Zampanò to be his wife and partner, she loyally endures her husband's coldness and abuse as they travel the Italian countryside performing together. Soon Zampanò must deal with his jealousy and conflicted feelings about Gelsomina when she finds a kindred spirit in Il Matto, the carefree circus fool, and contemplates leaving Zampanò.
How it earned its rating
- CriticsVery strong
98% on Rotten Tomatoes
- AudiencesStrong
7.9 out of 10
- AwardsStrong
Won 1 Oscar: Academy Awards: Best Foreign Language Film. Won 1 Venice award: Venice Film Festival: Best Foreign Language Film. Also nominated for 1 more Oscar. Plus 7 other awards.
- Reach & staying powerStrong
Streaming release that reached a solid audience; still draws a steady audience long after release
- Buzz & cultural impactStrong
About 120K people sought it out in the past year
Trailer
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Cast & crew
Directed by Federico Fellini
- Giulietta MasinaGelsomina
- Anthony QuinnZampanò
- Richard BasehartMatto
- Aldo SilvaniMr. Giraffa
- Marcella RovereWidow
- Livia VenturiniNun
- Pietro CeccarelliInnkeeper (uncredited)
- Giovanna GalliProstitute at Inn (uncredited)
- Gustavo Giorgi(uncredited)
- Yami KamadevaProstitute (uncredited)