La Strada (1954) and a couple references to other films I love

You know the times when you come across a movie by chance, a movie you have no prior knowledge of, but you know something about the director, or you heard of one of the actors in the films and you’re completely floored afterwards because you’re so surprised that a movie could have such an impact on how you look at life. I can say that this film is one of them. Films that have such an effect on me, after first viewing, need time to get under my skin. I Heart Huckabees, my favourite film of all time, wasn’t my favourite film after the first time I watched it. I have to let my thoughts evolve over time, until I can acknowledge that, wow that film was special to me. I’m also writing this review almost a week after I watched the film. Just thinking about it over the past 5 days has made me adore the film so much more. Therefore, as you may have already suspected, this blog is not so much a review/critique of this film, than a peek into the personal connection I felt (hint: I’m a huge film geek, and this blog is very self-indulgent).

Well, if I still have your attention, La Strada was really good because I loved Giulietta Masina’s character. She plays a young woman who is taken away by a traveling performer who treats her like shit for the whole time that they are together. What I loved loved loved about Giulietta’s character is she plays this kind of feminine version of Charlie Chaplin’s Tramp character; it’s awesome. Her facial expression is priceless throughout the film (She was even my msn pic for a few days, I might change is back again!). She is so hopeful when it looks like Anthony Quinn's character is going to show her some attention, and then she looks so heartbroken everytime he lets her down. I wanted to cry out of empathy at least half a dozen times. I feel the same about the main character in I Heart Huckabees. I loved the Jason Schwartzman character. He's so devastated with the Open Space's charter, that he started, kicks him out and then all the times Jude Law's character leads him to believe that he is on Schwartzman's side. I feel that both of these characters are capable of having both virtues and vices. Characters who are able to show both sides of the coin are definitely strong characters. Raging Bull’s main character Jake La Mota also portrays strong virtues and vices. I feel like these types of characters are real, and that they are more identifiable because they are at a natural level of human nature, that some films butcher off by creating “stereotype” characters for “so-called” audience identification (I think stereotypes are entertaining, for what they’re worth, but in the end they’re like eating a full box of Kraft Dinner, so decadent at the time, but after 20 minutes reality hits, and I have indigestion)

La Strada has great chemistry between the two main characters. Even though the chemistry is meant to be a constant love/hate relationship, the way it is presented on screen makes you want them to stay together, so you can experience the struggles and obstacles that present themselves during their close relationship.

What makes the chemistry so strong between Masina and Quinn is that they want and can only handle something particular from their relationship. Masina’s character wants to be close with Quinn, and she bends over backwards to please him. She likes the attention he gives her, when he occasionally gives it to her. Quinn wants to have Masina as a companion, but can’t handle having her as an intimately close companion. He often times holds her out at arm’s length and beret’s her when she is close to breaking the glass between them.

For me, this was the strongest trait in the film. While cinematography, music, dialogue and editing were also well done in this film, I have to say from a personal stand point the chemistry between the two characters carries the film from start to finish. The ending was sad, but very poignant. I was touched by it without question.