Nights of Cabiria: The Criterion Collection (Full Screen)

 

 

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I have entered into the world of Federico Fellini and I don't think I'm turning back. The story and the performance in here are wonderful in particular Guiletta Masina, who stars as Cabiria. She plays a tough talking, streetwise hooker with one weakness: she falls in love all too easy. The story opens with her latest boyfriend, a shifty character named Giorgio (after a month of living together she's never learned his last name), steals her purse for pocket change and dumps her in the river. Even confronted with the obvious, she wishfully worries about Giorgio's welfare until the reality of his crime finally sinks in, and she responds with a sudden, mad fit of destructive anger.

Out first impression of Cabiria presents not so much a complex character as a passionate one: Masina's moon face and bright eyes flash emotions with the quicksilver spontaneity of a child. She's a streetwalker-as-Mary Pickford, a waif whose years on the street has turned wary and cynical, but just short of jaded. She still has the capacity to show her delight in life, the trust to give her heart away, and the clear thinking to buy her own house and stock money away in the bank.

As if haunted by the experience, she stumbles along looking for some meaning in her life, which she most pointedly does not find in a disappointing pilgrimage to a Catholic shrine -- "Nothing's changed!" she cries after seeing salvation turned into a circus. But after a devastatingly poignant admission while under hypnosis at a magic show, where she opens her soul when she meets her dream lover and becomes the object of ridicule by a taunting audience, she finally meets a man who seems to appreciate her open heart and trusting soul. Oscar (Francois Perier) doesn't know who she is or what she does, but he sees what we see in her glowing face: hope shining through her pain, a woman ready to offer her unconditional love.

Cabiria, as clownish as she appears at times, is no passive gamine but a hearty, rambunctious woman full of the joy of life. At a high class nightclub with movie star Lazzari she jumps into a goofy dance of joy, completely out of synch with her surroundings but an honest expression of her character. No posing, no masks for Cabiria, she is what she is and makes no apologies and that's what holds the episodic film together. The plot essentially exists as bookends to the film; "Nights of Cabiria" dares lose itself in the wanderings of its hapless, hopeful heroine. Perhaps no actress other than Massina could have pulled this off, a soaring triumph of the human spirit. "Nights of Cabiria" is a great film that I highly recommend to those who appreciate Italian cinema.

"La Notti Di Cabriria" is a fine showcase for the goofball charm of Giulietta Masina. I have no doubt that it has reduced many a mighty soul to tears and trembling. The story is tight and conveyed with authority and conviction. I am certain that this is a "good" movie that most people enjoy thoroughly. I'm going to back and watch it again, but as it stands, it just didn't move me like I expected it to. I can't very well give it a higher rating until it impacts me emotionally.

Still, I recognize that the film has an exceedingly dirty feel to it. Everything from Cabriria's occupation to the filthy beggars crying out for Grace from Maria --reek with a pestilence that cannot be washed off. The film is ugly--and Cabriria is presented like a little beacon of light to guide the viewer through the stinking pit of civilization. Masina does a fine job conveying the sufferings and triumphs of her character. I'm just not a big fan of these types of stories--I watched it because it is a Fellini film and I am trying to work my way through all his work. I will watch this again after I've made more of a dent in his output. I'll probably see it in an entirely different way and perhaps may even like it more.

Ultimately, if you love rooting for the little gal, this film is for you. She is very much like Chaplin's "little tramp" and you will enjoy observing her gritty determination to climb every mountain with a song in her heart. Watch it when you are not cynical, open to sweetness, and not afraid of the tyranny of the sun.

This review is for the Criterion Collection DVD edition of the film.

The film's original title is "Le Notti di Cabiria" and was later remade as the film Sweet Charity with Shirley MacClaine.

This film is the story of a prostitute trying unsucessfully to find true love. This edition includes a famous "man with a sack" scene that was cut from from the film and is shown for the first time on home video. The film has good acting and some scenes with great humor.

the special features on the DVD include the original trailer, an audio interview with producer Dino DeLaurentiis, a video interview with Fellini's assistant, Dominique Delouche (conducted at his apartment in Paris) A scene from the film "The White Sheik" which was later released by Criterion, and a demo of the restoration.

The restoration is very impressive and shows how they were able to take a film that had faded severly and make it look almost brand new. The demonstration alone, is worth renting the DVD. If you like Fellini's movies, Buy it.

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5.0 out of 5 stars Collector's Gem
Quality counts with the folks at The Criterion Collection, not just technically but in content too. This is one of Fellini's most fully realized films and the nostalgia and... Read more

Published on Mar 21 2004 by M. Innocenti

5.0 out of 5 stars Fellini at his best
"Le Notti di Cabiria", Federico Fellini's 1957 Academy Award winning film, is a poignant, touching and timeless work of Italian cinema. Read more

Published on Nov 29 2003 by Robert

5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding!!!
I saw this movie almost a year ago on the "Flix" pay channel. I was mesmerized! I priced it on several web sights featuring videos and was astonished at the price $35... Read more

Published on Oct 23 2003 by James A. Butler

5.0 out of 5 stars Maestro!
Bravissimo! Il piu maestro di film di tutto mundo!

Published on May 3 2003 by camark97

5.0 out of 5 stars Makes Sweet Charity look so trite
Giulietta Masina has often been compared to Charlie Chaplin, but I tend to favor the argument that she is like an Italian neo-realist Lucille Ball. Read more

Published on April 21 2003 by Edward Aycock

5.0 out of 5 stars An Excellent Movie
Fellini creates a real classic for the first 80 minutes of this. His sense for "poetry" is in full evidence. Read more

Published on April 1 2003 by Scott McFarland

5.0 out of 5 stars cabiria's dream
My favorite Fellini movie. The scene in the the theater where Cabiria agrees (after her initial endearing cantankerousness) to undergo the magician's "spell" is a gem of... Read more

Published on Feb 13 2003 by Lefty O'doul

4.0 out of 5 stars one of the great characters
cabiria is one of the few truly great female characters in film, right up there with swanson's norma desmond. Read more

Published on Dec 9 2002

3.0 out of 5 stars A message of hope in a troubling world
In Nights of Cabiria, directed by Federico Fellini, we follow a few days in the life of a prostitute in Italy. Read more

Published on Nov 21 2002 by Zev Bazarov

5.0 out of 5 stars Thought provoking for days!
I have been a Fellini fan since 1974, but somehow missed "Nights of Cabria", until I ordered it from Amazon[.com]. Read more

Published on Sep 10 2002 by andre jones

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