Overview
When Gelsomina, a naïve young woman, is purchased from her impoverished mother by brutish circus strongman Zampanò to be his wife and partner, she loyally endures her husband's coldness and abuse as they travel the Italian countryside performing together. Soon Zampanò must deal with his jealousy and conflicted feelings about Gelsomina when she finds a kindred spirit in Il Matto, the carefree circus fool, and contemplates leaving Zampanò.
MovieMagicScore Overview
Auto-generatedFederico Fellini's 1954 drama follows a naive young woman sold to a brutish traveling strongman, becoming his partner and the target of his coldness as they roam the Italian countryside performing for crowds. Her gentle spirit and a chance bond with a kindly circus fool stir jealousy and buried feeling in her hard-hearted companion. Tender, poetic, and profoundly sad, the film transforms a simple itinerant tale into a meditation on cruelty, loneliness, and the human need for connection. Its tone is lyrical and heartbreaking. The film is essential viewing for lovers of classic Italian cinema and timeless emotional drama. MagicMovieScore: 7.9.
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Trailer
Top Cast
Giulietta Masina
Gelsomina
Anthony Quinn
Zampanò
Richard Basehart
Il 'Matto'
Aldo Silvani
Il Signor Giraffa
Marcella Rovere
La Vedova
Livia Venturini
La Suorina
Pietro Ceccarelli
Innkeeper (uncredited)
Giovanna Galli
Prostitute at the Inn (uncredited)
1,121 ratings. The score is reasonably stable but could shift up to 0.08 as more ratings come in.
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Movie Info
Release Date
September 23, 1954
Runtime
1h 55m
Rating
NR
Genres
Drama
Director