Roger Ebert, in his Great Films essay on La Strada, states:
"It is Quinn's performance that holds up best, because it is the simplest. Zampano is not much more intelligent than Gelsomina. Life has made him a brute and an outcast, with one dumb trick (breaking a chain by expanding his chest muscles), and a memorized line of patter that was perhaps supplied to him by a circus owner years before. His tragedy is that he loves Gelsomina and does not know it, and that is the central tragedy for many of Fellini's characters: They are always turning away from the warmth and safety of those who understand them, to seek restlessly in the barren world."
Fellini has given us a film about outcasts. How do the roles of these outcasts reflect on each other? Do you see any signs of redemption? Choose a character and examine how that character redeems him or herself and how that character is cinematically presented as an outcast by society. Be mindful of all of Fellini's symbolism! Do this in at least 3 paragraphs.
Due: Monday, October 28.
La Strada can be said to be a film that follows and expresses the lives of a couple of out casts that find their way to be street performers and members of the circus. Apart from themselves, these outcasts, Gelsomina, Zampano, and the fool, do not converse with or become a part of the outside world. Throughout the entire film they interact with themselves and most of the time refuse interaction with anyone else, like in Gelsomina’s case when she denies help from the ones around he. All of them end up having the same role or goal in their lives, being that they humiliate themselves for the amusement of everyone not all ready out casted by society. One of these three main outcasts is Zampano and he is shown throughout the film to be an outcast from society through the film’s cinematic language.
ReplyDeleteDuring the film there are several cinematic instances that show Zampano is really an outcast from society. When you look at the composition of the shots, whenever Zampano is in the shot, he is usually taking up the entire frame, or he is shown in a long shot, with no one else really around him except for Gelsomina, a fellow outcast. This use of composition is to show the viewer how alone Zampano really is in the world. Also if you look at the composition of shots when there are other people in the frame, like the crowds that gather to see his shows, they are shown to be far off behind him in the background, blurred from our vision, making it almost seem like he really still is alone. When he is shown fully in the frame with a deep focus, we can see that he never gets too close to the crowd enough to touch, the crowd stays aloof from him, showing that regular society is far off from Zampano wanting nothing to do directly with him, they just came to view the little circus act going on. Going off the idea of the circus act, if you look at his make up and costume during his acts, you’ll notice that he is dressed to be like a performer for his audience (for obvious reasons) however it still is a way of showing the viewer how much different he is from the audience, wearing a pair of ridiculous looking shorts, with no shirt to show off his muscles. This makes him an outcast, along with his regular make-up and costume, showing him as a dirty, ruff looking hobo in a way, with a full scruffly looking beard and run down looking clothing. Also he pretty much only wears those two costumes, his street clothes, and his actual performance costume, showing he must be in a poor economic situation and also being an outcast because of this social status. Everyone else because of the things that he has to do to make a living rejects him. His final moment that really shows him as someone who is alone in society is the final shot of the film that comes out from a close-up of Zampano crying on the beach to a long open shot of him showing how alone that he really is in the world, making him more of an outcast than ever before, because now he has lost the one thing that he really cared about, Gelsomina.
In the case of Zampano it is hard to see any sign of him redeeming himself. He redeems himself a little in terms of social wealth by, at the end of the film, wearing a full pin stripped suit and seeming to have a job in a circus again, as shown from his change in costume and him doing his performance in the circus. However it can be said that he is redeemed from being so much of a mean, brutal emotionless person in the final shot of the film, when he breaks down and cries at finding out that Gelsomina is dead. Him realizing that he actually did care for her, because of how close they were, is a point of his redemption. Him and Gelsomina were close because of how both of them were forced to be social outcasts, so after Zampano realizes this after being truly alone when he abandons her, he realizes he loved her, this being his tragic flaw. So that could really be the only form of redemption seen for the social outcast Zampano.
La Strada is a very interesting movie in the fact that there is not really a point to it. Yes, it is a story about a couple of outcasts that are trying desperately to be important in the world along with making money, but there is no explicit meaning to this film. The three outcasts we find in this movie are Zampano, Gelsomina, and the Fool, all of whom have no past or no near future. They are all one in the same character, but for some reason don’t want to interact. It is as though they are caught on a never ending path; they can never be those same people that watch them humiliate themselves, and they won’t accept the help needed to get there.
ReplyDeleteZampano is especially shown as an outcast to society, out of all characters. He’s known as “the strongman” or “the man built like no other man” by other people because of his size. Even Gelsomina says that he is not built like regular Italian men if I’m not mistaken. This, along with the fact that he is a brute, truly outcasts him. You can see this through the shot composition as well. Whenever he is shown on screen, he is usually alone or with Gelsomina, and if he is with someone else he is probably causing some kind of ruckus like whenever he and the Fool are in the frame together. They are always shooting each other dirty looks or insulting each other or Zampano is chasing him around and eventually Zampano takes the Fool’s life. Also, whenever Zampano is putting on a show the crowd is never too close to him as if they are trying to keep their distances from such a savage looking man. It’s as though he’s alone in the center (with the exception of Gelsomina) performing his tricks to an empty crowd just like he’s going through life without a purpose. Even when Zampano is literally trapped in a room with Gelsomina for the night (the night they spent in the barn of the convent) and he finds a way to separate from her. In the end, Zampano did find himself a job with a regularly traveling circus, but he never really found a way to the good life. He realizes his mistakes after he arrives at the town where he finds that Gelsomina had passed through and died sometime before in. The final scene is of him looking toward the sea, eyes full of tears, as he is looking toward something with no end; no clearing in sight. The title of this movie is symbolic of this. La Strada in English means “the road” which is exactly what Zampano is headed down; although it is not a road to prosperity but rather emptiness, as exhibited by the final scene.
Zampano never really did redeem himself for what he did. He was a brutal and dirty man who only thought of himself. Leaving Gelsomina on the side of the road like he did was the most selfish thing he could have done to not only her, but to himself. Deep down in Zampano’s heart, he loved Gelsomina but he just didn’t know it. She was the only one that stuck with him, both on screen and in his heart, but his ruggedness blinded him from this fact and he remained an outcast.
La Strada has many main characters that are portrayed as outcasts. Two of them being Gelsomina and Zampano. The character I will be focusing on is Zampano.
ReplyDeleteHe is seen by the audience as quite a heartless man. He takes advantage of people through his circus act, and steals money from others (including nuns). Zampano recruits Gelsomina, the female protagonist, to help him out with his circus act, and presents her to people as his "wife." But he is just using her for money. He knows that if he appears to be a family man during his circus act, with a friendly, always smiling wife, then he will get more donations at the end of the show. Gelsomina agrees to join this mini-circus without knowing what she's getting herself into. Zampano beats Gelsomina when she does not follow the act and she remains helpless to his anger. Eventually, his anger becomes so bad that he is arrested and leaves Gelsomina to go to jail.
In this scenes throughout the film, Fellini uses symbolism to show the characters attempting to redeem themselves. In the scene where Zampano goes to jail, Gelsomina is left behind with Zampano's "house" and the open road. The motorcycle home represents freedom. Gelsomina could have taken the bike and ran far away, never to have to deal with Zampano's tricks again, but instead she feels obligated to rescue Zampano from jail. The motorcycle represented the redemption that Gelsomina could have had, but chose not to. Another symbol in this film is Gelsomina's trumpet. This represents Zampano's lack of faith in her. She had very little talent and Zampano did not appreciate it when she learned new skills.
Not only are Zampano and Gelsomina outcasts in society, they are also outcasts to each other. Zampano does not respect Gelsomina the way he should, and he leaves her to sleep alone in the truck. He turns away from her, and rejects her admiration. Gelsomina looks up to Zampano and he does not show the same feelings towards her. Although Zampano and Gelsomina are together, Zampano rejects Gelsomina's feelings. He feels alone and Gelsomina feels neglected. She is the only one that has shown any type of affection towards Zampano throughout the film, and he does not realize it. He is too absorbed in his career and his own life to realize what he's got. Overall, Zampano as well as Gelsomina have had the chance to redeem themselves from being outcasts, but they never do.
La Strada is a film about outcasts, who never quite find where they fit into the world, and live out their lives trying to find a purpose for their existence, or redemption. Three types of outcasts are presented in this film: Gelsomina, the mentally immature woman who longs to find happiness and see the world, Zampano, the tough brute who is incapable of showing love and compassion, and Il Matto, the fool who finds joy in teasing people and never takes things seriously. Fellini cinematically draws a line between the circus freaks and the commoners, while creating a feeling of compassion for the outsiders, even Zampano.
ReplyDeleteWhat’s most interesting about the film is the way the characters are structured. Gelsomina throughout the film exhibits very child-like qualities, and presents herself as sort of a “stock character”. She is very comical, and you can’t really tell how much she actually understands as an adult, but she is also a point of redemption for Zampano, the brutal man who’s angry with himself and angry at the world, and uses violence as a form of release. Another interesting thing about the film is the setting that’s present within the frame. A lot of the film takes place outside, in a grotesque and hostile world, but what’s great about the setting is the humor and compassion found in that grotesque world present within the film, through Gelsomina, and even Zampano. La Strada translates in English to “The Road”, so it’s almost like a metaphor for live and for living, which is exemplified through the actions of the characters. The Fool in the film creates his own fate by continually teasing Zampano, and even though he knows what will happen to him, finds too much joy and redemption in it to stop. The Fool doesn’t even take himself seriously, but Zampano does, which ultimately ends up in The Fool’s death. By kiiling the Fool however, Zampano does the unthinkable, and crushes Gelsomina’s spirit. Zampano is aware of what he has done and realizes that he can’t go back, leading to him losing his one chance at redeeming himself. Despite the way Gelsomina was treated, and despite the fact that she was miserable, through Zampano she was able to see the world, and she loved him for that. It’s charming to know this while watching the film, but it’s also heart wrenching to know that Zampano knows this, and that he realizes at the end that there is nothing he can do for her because of the way he is. In the end the dark, sorrowful cry that etches out of the darkest part of Zampano’s being is what makes us truly feel for him, but this layer of emotion that is created around him can also servesas his ultimate redemption. What’s also interesting about this is that while the film begins with Gelsomina, it ends with Zampano, turning him into the prominent character.
La Strada is very much like a circus of symbolism and dwelves deep into the creation of character depth. Through the expressions and actions of the characters, as well as the presentation of the world around him, the road traveled by the outsider as well as the implicit quest for redemption is clearly projected.
Within “La Strada”, the three main characters all show signs that they are outcasts to society. Zampanó, Gelsomina, and Il Matto (the Fool), are all connected on the same road (or strada), and they all are a part of the circus. Throughout their journey, their interactions with each other allows us to understand more about them and how exactly they feel. Fellini is also able to create meaning behind the characters with several cinematic techniques.
ReplyDeleteThe Fool is a key character within the entire situation. He is, in a way, more of an outcast than Gelsomina and Zampanó. The energy that he brings to the mix changes the entire mood, mainly because he acts very goofy and out of sync with Zampanó. After, all his name is the Fool. He creates a chaotic and negative feelingwhen he is interacting with Zampanó, and a positive and happy feeling when with Gelsomina. About 50 minutes into the film, when Zampanó is performing his usual act, the Fool doesn’t fit in the moment he walks in. He sort of acts like a class clown, constantly making jokes and acting funny so that he feels more confident. And we are able to see how vulnerable Zampanó actually is, even though he poses as a strong, tough man. The Fool doesn’t really commit sinful acts within the film, such as murder, he just antagonizes Zampanó and makes him look bad. He is mainly concerned with Gelsomina, and he wants what's best for her. Maybe Il Matto's redemption, for the wrong things that he did to Zampanó, is motivating Gelsomina that she has a purpose in the world.
The interesting thing about the characters is that they still continue to feel lonely, even though they do have each other. Through the character’s actions, we can figure out what Fellini was intending to imply.
La Strada certainly fits the bill of a story about outcasts, although I had not thought of it in those terms. Gelsomina is an outcast, and so is Zampano, rejected by the nuclear family sort of Italian society. Each character is pathetic and sad on their own. The pity we have for them even grows though from their rejection of each other. They each have these naïve simple, and abstract ideas of what it means to be acceptable in society. Their rejection of each other, sort of proves that they do not fully know the extent to which they themselves are outcasts. Gelsomina fears Zampano so she rejects him and his lifestyle. She grows to admire him, following like a puppy, but I don’t think she ever stops disapproving, or ever understands his choices. Zampano looks down on Gelsomina as a simpleton, and regards himself highly, but struggles in the world. He doesn’t see that the reason for this is that the world does not think so highly of him.
ReplyDeleteAlthough he is mean, he may be the character we pity the most. And it may be due to his meanness. Gelsomina is simple, her emotions are cut and dry, she is easily pleased or upset, and she doesn’t understand the complex issues of the world. But I think to some extent, with the way she is presented, she knows that she doesn’t understand, and in many ways views herself as a child. For example, the scene where Zampano abandons her at the bar- she sees herself as needing to be cared for. Zampano on the other hand, outwardly presents himself as someone arrogant. He has a show all to himself. He is shown in the frame as a powerful figure, often in the center, even as the camera moves. He’s even shown as the powerful, center figure, when he is alone with Gelsomina. Just being alone with her on the side of the road, having to take advantage of someone not capable of fighting back, in itself shows weakness. But also the fact that he feels the need to prove something to her- he is still the puffed up tough guy around her when that is not really necessary.
As in the first scene after she is “given” to him, he treats her like an animal that he is training. He doesn’t see that she would respect even if he was not mean or cruel. This develops that he is an outcast, this wouldn’t be acceptable in a normal family situation. That is part of his not understand that he is an outcast. It is tragic that they don’t realize that their relationship could actually be beneficial to each other, if they were each a little keener to see how society views them. The redemption I think comes from his learning of her fate. Its been many years, and to some extent I think he has understood a bit more their places in the world. The redemption is subtle, and could be interpreted in a different way. But I do think he has grown.
La Strada is a film that revolves around the role of being an outcast, and how that effects inter and intra personal relationships. The main thing connecting these outcasts through the movie is their journey, or "la strada" (the road). Zampano, Gelsomina and the Fool are traveling performers, and they roam the country in order to make a living. Wherever they go, they are always tagged with the "outsider" label.
ReplyDeleteAll three of the characters in this story have a certain social/emotional disability. Zampano is unable to relate to other, and accurately express his emotions. He resorts to lashing out at those around him, especially those he cares for. Gelsomina is the little, naïve one who is unable to deal with the cruelty of life on the road. And the Fool is a passive-aggressive annoyance who picks on people in order to relate, which rarely works.
Zampano is shown throughout the movie to be an outcast. It is heavily implies that his brutish and angry ways keep him in a continuing cycle of being and outsider and alone. He wears dirty clothes, and never takes off his cap, which is tattered and old. When he travels, he does the same monotonous routine, unwilling to try anything new, even if it will improve his life. This spills over into his emotional life, particularly with Gelsomina. During the movie, he is unable to relate to her, expressing his feelings for her in a very wrong way, often abusing her verbally and physically.
His only signs of redemption appear toward the end, as he is attempting to deal with his feelings toward her. He has refused to accept that he was in love with her, by trying to crush her spirit of innocence. Overall though, he cannot deal with his emotions, and he leaves her when he realizes this. He is very pathetic. At the end, he breaks down crying while attempting to drink himself unconscious. This is the only emotion he has ever shown, showing another side of him that was hiding under his masculine, rough exterior.
In Federico Fellini's film, "La Strada" the two most prominent 'outcasts' of society are Zampano and Gelsomina. Zampano is a one-trick showman who travels from town to town and demonstrates how he "risks his life to break a chain by using the power of his lungs." In addition to Zampano's 'outcast' status, he also turns away from the 'warmth and safety' of Gelsomina and eventually casts her out- completely seperating any relations she could possibly have with society (being the outcast of an outcast as she is.)
ReplyDeleteZampano's outcast status is emphasized through the mise en scene and dialogue during his interactions with the 'normal' people of society. One such example is when Zampano leaves Gelsomina outside a tavern so that he could hook up with a woman that he seems to be semi-familiar with. When the woman see's his motorcycle/transportable home combination she responds with disbelief and ridicule for such a "lousy situation" that he calls home. Later Zampano's act is interrupted by The Fool, who's interactions with Zampano eventually antagonize Zampano into accidentally killing him. This illustrates how even in the world of circus acts and outcasts of traditional society, Zampano is still not really accepted, and because of this he reacts violently towards not just those responsible, as seen in his attack on The Fool and the bar scene later on, but Gelsomina as well because he's afraid of the rejection he's expecting.
As for Zampano's attacks on Gelsomina, throughout the entire movie he's constantly attacking her the way he's used to being attacked. He insults the way that she dresses, insults her cooking, and doesn't let her do what she wants to do until she runs away. These are things that could very well happen to him as well. Zampano states that "not one of his assistant girls has ever looked sloppy" yet he never changes his clothes, washes them, and always wears his ratty hat. This complete hypocrisy, this treatment of someone in exactly the way he fears being treated, ultimately leads Zampano to be ruled off as an irredeemable character. The universal redeemable qualities- at least as i believe it- are empathy, sympathy, and optimism. Zampano never feels any of these towards Gelsomina. When he starts treating her better it's only because he almost lost her and is afraid of having to replace her- and because of this he eventually returns to mistreating her. In the end of the movie he seems to be remorseful that she ended up dying before he could find her, but that's all it really was. We do not see him really searching for Gelsomina, only inquiring about her well-being after he remembers her after hearing a nearby woman sing the tune that Gelsomina had invented. And that apparent lack of interest until the song reminds him of Gelsomina is the reason why Zampano seems irredeemable.
Also, Zampano was never remorseful for the death of his previous assistant (Gelsomina's sister?), and only mentioned her when he was searching for a replacement, or comparing her and Gelsomina- outlining Gelsomina's shortcomings.
DeleteIn La Strada, the character Zampano is shown throughout the film to be an outcast. Throughout the film, there are many things that paint him as an outsider. One of them is the motorcycle he drives. It is very unique to him (and possibly American), and that is one thing that other Italians find very different, as this is even brought up to him in the film. Also, the fact that Zampano has no real home is evidence that he has no home. Also, Zampano (and his companion Gelsomina), spend much of the movie isolated in frame. Most of the shots contain only one or two of this pair, and the scenes that involve others aren’t usually very long. In these times when they’re by themselves, the frame is taken up mostly by surrounding scenery, Zampano’s motorcycle, or sometimes people far in the background, detached from our duo. Also, Zampano’s actions with others reveal his nature as an outsider. Zampano has almost no positive interactions with anyone in the film. When he is around others, it is usually just in the pursuit of alcohol or sex. He gets drunk often, and gets into fights even more. Also, we see that he is considered attractive by the fact that he frequently picks up women, but these relationships never last more than one night, showing again his disconnect. Also, the fact that Zampano runs his own small circus shows that he is an outcast, as a circus performer is typically viewed as the job of an outcast. Zampano’s character reflects on the outcast nature of Gelsomina also. For example, when he sleeps with her right after buying her, she sits up all night, glowing and feeling pride for what happens, showing that despite her age she hasn’t been with another person intimately yet, showing her isolation. Also, at the beginning of the film, Gelsomina is walking alone on a beach, far away from anyone but some children, showing again her isolation. Also, after when Zampano takes Gelsomina on the road, she does not interact much with anyone else besides the Fool. This goes so far that at one point, Zampano leaves Gelsomina alone in a city by herself to go out philandering. She sits outside, cold and alone, all night and waits for him. She declines all advances of aid or food, and when she finds out the Zampano is sleeping a ways outside of town (isolated), she goes running to him. This again shows their relationship as outcasts, and the bond that gives them, as they can truly understand each other. Despite this relationship, they are even isolated as each other, as each person’s strict character roles, and even physical builds, are polar opposites of the other. In the end, after we see their relationship grow by seeing them do things like happily share a bed, ride together full frame on the front of Zampano’s motorcycle, sit together at night and eat around a fire (the fire representing the warmth of each other’s company), Zampano leaves Gelsomina (and their relationship) behind, and moves on with his life.
ReplyDeleteThere were signs of redemption before he does this, however, as he spends months tending after Gelsomina and trying to make her better after killing the fool. After he leaves however, we can see that he no longer can live life alone. His make up changes to show him wearied, and he struggles with his act. He looks tired and aged. Never again do we see him comfortably. When he finally returns for Gelsomina, 5 years later, he has a breakdown and falls down in despair. This is truly his greatest sign of redemption. In the rest of the film, we don’t see Zampano show any remorse or sadness for any of the things he has done, including killing the Fool. But here, these emotions overtake him, and he can not handle himself. This, paired with his increasingly small size in frame, show the dramatic effect Gelsomina’s death had on him, and show that he will never be complete again. Lastly, Zampano’s trick is based on the strength of his pectoral, or chest muscles, but the most important of these being his heart. With Gelsomina gone, this muscle is damaged, and when she dies, it is understood that his heart is broken, and he will most likely not be able to continue his show, or his hermit life, alone.
ReplyDeleteThis film, La Strada, is a film about Outsiders and these outsiders are mainly the Fool, Zampano, and Gelsomina. They are outsiders in different ways but at the same time they are also outsiders in similar ways, tying their characters together. Chiefly however, Zampano really strikes me as the biggest outcast amongst the group of the three, and in a lot of ways he is the reasons for why he is an outcast. I feel he chooses to be an outcast through the way he acts towards people throughout the entirety of the film.
ReplyDeleteZampano is shown to be an outsider in many ways, and most of them also tie into why other characters are outsiders as well. First, Zampano’s bike is very old and beat up, showing an example of why h is an outsider. This bike is made fun of by everyone who sees it and really only Zampano is truly happy about his bike as he defends his bike whenever anyone made fun of it. I feel that Zampano never had a real home, and maybe for his whole life, he was forced to live in the back of that very bike, so he feels safe and possibly, “at home” on that bike, and this is why he has saved it for so long. If this is true, then the fact that Zampano never truly had a home of his own further shows how much of an outsider he is. Also, Zampano and Gelsomina, spend much of the movie isolated in frame. Most of the shots contain only one or two of this pair, and the scenes that involve others aren’t usually very long. In these times when they’re by themselves, the frame is taken up mostly by surrounding scenery, Zampano’s motorcycle, or sometimes people far in the background. The most prevalent reason for why Zampano is an outsider is the way he carries himself with other people. He treats everyone in a very rude and aggressive manner, showing that he doesn't want to be pleasant towards anyone and if anyone wants to be close with him or show him love, he pushes them away angrily and he never finds out he is in love with Gelsomina because of this until it is too late. He is usually only even around other people if it is for alcohol or for sex. I feel the reason he is considered an outsider, is he chooses to be one. The Fool and Gelsomina are both strange and have no homes at all, and this is the reason they are forced to be outsiders, but Zampano has a home. It is a bike, but he has somewhat of a home. He chooses to act and feel the way that he does, and this makes me feel no sympathy for him as he chooses almost every decision that is made for him, making me believe he may not like being an outsider, but he chose to be one.
Personally I feel Zampano never wanted to have a redemption, but deep down, with his love for Gelsomina, he actually really did. I feel the scene where Zampano gets his redemption is when he finds out what happened to Gelsomina, as she had died a few years earlier. He goes to the beach and we see an emotional breakdown from him and the scene is a long scene for just one action which is his breakdown. The length of this scene I feel is used to show the audience that he realizes how he truly feels about Gelsomina, and that I think he will never be able to happy or alone again without her, and all of this is said in a dialogue free scene of the emotional breakdown and redemption of Zampano.