La strada story
La strada (lit. '"The Road"') is a 1954 Italian drama film directed by Federico Fellini from his own screenplay co-written with Tullio Pinelli and Ennio Flaiano. The film tells the story of Gelsomina, a simple-minded young woman (Giulietta Masina) bought from her mother by Zampanò (Anthony Quinn), a brutish strongman who takes her with him on the road.
13 total · 1 choice · 6 major · 6 minor
| Theme | Level | Motivation |
|---|---|---|
| human characters in contrast | choice | Sensitive and naïve Gelsomina was starkly contrasted with the brutish and streetwise Zampanò. |
| coping with the death of a lover | major | Zampanò became depressed after he learned that Gelsomina had died. |
| hatred | major | A good portion of the story revolved around Zampanò and Il Matto's fervent loathing of each other. |
| infatuation | major | Gelsomina became somewhat besotted with Zampanò even though he mistreated her badly. She seemed to think she could change him. Zampanò came to realize he had recipricating feelings only after Gelsomina was dead. |
| love-hate relationship | major | Gelsomina and Zampanò had a peculiar relationship going on and variously felt tenderness for or sought to escape from the other. |
| the entertainment industry | major | Zampanò and Gelsomina were itinerant performers who temporarily worked for a traveling circus. |
| tragic love | major | In the end we understand that Gelsomina and Zampanò had both come to feel some sort of love for each other, but that it lead them to their respective ruin. |
| child leaving the nest | minor | Gelsomina left her mother to make her own way in the world working for Zampanò. |
| mother and daughter | minor | Gelsomina took a tearful farewell of her impoverished mama. |
| murder | minor | Zampanò killed Il Matto in a fit of rage. |