‘Guess there’s some justice in the world…’
Arriving around the same time as French New Wave and Kitchen Sink Realism in the UK, Italian Neorealism was characterised by films that showcased what life was really like in Italy – primarily in Rome. While the movement is more commonly associated with Roberto Rossellini, the Italian maestro Federico Fellini also took his cues from Rome, never more so than on Nights of Cabiria…
Maria ‘Cabiria’ Ceccarelli (Giulietta Masina) is a Roman prostitute with big dreams. The problem is that the men in her life continuously let her down. Blending neorealism with flights of fancy, Fellini deftly introduces us to life on the mean streets of Rome without ever losing sight of the fact that cinema should chiefly exist to entertain.
Masina gives a revelatory performance in the titular role, at once loud, aggressive and vulnerable. It’s a big performance without being too ostentatious and Masina’s Cabiria can be obnoxious, hilarious or sensual – often within the same scene. The rogue’s gallery of men that trail in her wake are all hilariously inept or pathetic, and by the end, despite her many indiscretions, it’s impossible not to root for Cabiria and her dream of making it off the streets.
Shot in stark black and white, Nights of Cabiria offers a fascinating snapshot of Rome in the ’50s, while at the same time introducing us to one of Italian cinema’s most enduring female characters. To spend a couple of hours in this world is truly exciting. A wonderful film.