NIGHTS OF CABIRIA (1957)

Film of the Day #102

NIGHTS OF CABIRIA
1957 • Federico Fellini

Screenplay: Ennio Flaiano, Tullio Pinelli, Federico Fellini, Pier Paolo Pasolini
Producer: Dino De Laurentiis
Cast: Giulietta Masina, François Périer, Amedeo Nazzari
Cinematography: Aldo Tonti, Otello Martelli
Music: Bonagura, Nino Rota

Paramount Pictures (Italy)

Madonna, Madonna, help me to change my life. Bestow your grace on me too. Make me change my life.

The misadventures of an Italian sex worker as she roams the streets looking for love, but frequently encounters heartbreak. She finally meets an upstanding young gentleman and falls for him... is he the one that will save her from this life? Or will she be humiliated yet again?

Italian post-war neo-realism is about many things, but mostly it's about human pathos. Nights of Cabiria isn't so much concerned with the plot and the series of events that happen to Cabiria, but rather about what impact this has on her psyche.

This film doesn't try to hide what Cabiria is. She IS a sex worker. She isn't the cliched "prostitute with a heart of gold." But she is a prostitute with a heart, and it is often breaking... despite her outward efforts to try and mask it. Giulietta Masina, who stars in the title role and was also Fellini's wife, gives a beautiful performance.

You can not talk about this film without mentioning post-war Rome, which in and of itself is a character as well. One scene in the film depicts a good samaritan bringing food, clothes, and supplies to many citizens left homeless from the ravages of war, all the while Cabiria tries to seduce the clearly uninterested man in a "date." While one man tries to help others, Cabiria is doing all she can to make her own way in this world. This is what Italian Neo-Realism is all about.

But Cabiria is not without a sense of shame or pity. This is evident in one of the final scenes when she sells her humble house to a needy family in one of the more touching scenes in the film. And that's the point. Cabiria, despite her profession, is still a woman of high moral character. Disappointment after disappointment continues to rain down on her and she refuses to give up, she refuses to feel sorry for herself. At the end of the film, after a completely heartbreaking episode, she keeps her head held high and marches forward in a beautifully shot final scene by Fellini.

As mentioned before, Post-War Italian Neo-Realism is about human pathos, and this film consistently delivers it from beginning to end.

A beautiful film and a must-see for anyone interested in classic foreign cinema.

Guess there's some justice in the world. You suffer, you go through hell. Then happiness comes along for everyone.

Notable Awards & Accomplishments

• Academy Award Winner: Best Foreign Language Film - Italy
• Cannes Film Festival Winner: Best Actress - Giulietta Masina
• BAFTA Awards Nominated: Best Film from any Source

Streaming: Prime Video
Digital Rental/Purchase: Available at most major digital retailers
Physical Media: Available on Blu-Ray and DVD. It is part of the Criterion Collection.