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.
Outcasts are often a unique and interesting subject matter for film, considering the wide variety of depictions of outcasts, between John Hugh’s “The Breakfast Club” (1985) to Frederico Fellini’s “La Strada” (1950). Many films take the opportunity to unite outcasts, or even to depict them as inhumane or lesser than people, but La Strada utilizes many techniques that humanize circus carnies. Zampano undergoes what is arguably the most drastic and important transformation across the length of La Strada by Frederico Fellini. This main character is almost always unlikable, he is rude to everyone, a literal brute, and is distant even when someone offers him love or platonic affection. Through the eyes of Gelisomina, the audience develops a sort of tragic sympathy for Zampano. In the final scenes of the film, we get to see Zampano’s need for redemption, but at that point, it is too late.
ReplyDeleteZampano is truly an imposing character when he is on the screen. The camera is always placed a little under him to make the viewer feel smaller, and to make his stature more imposing. His dialogue is often rash, brief, and simplistic, implying that he is of little intelligence, or little words. One shot that showed us the human side of Zampano the best was when Gelisomina put the blanket over his shoulders as he sleeps. Finally, Zampano is below the camera and not occupying as much onscreen space, because this time, it is Gelisomina who is standing literally above Zampano. She is displaying love for him, implying that the love she has is more powerful than his hatred. Usually, when Zampano talks, it is quick and to the point and he does not stutter, but in this scene, he seems to stumble over his words of hate towards Gelisomina. After seeing Zampano as such an outcast and a lost soul, it is shocking to the audience to see him become a brute so quickly. This is done so by well thought out shot composition, which really propels both characters, and develops their personalities.
This is all confirmed by the end of the film in which Zampano’s self-forced hate pushes him to drive away everyone in his life. Zampano stands alone on the beach that earlier in the film, Gelisomina was so elated to see, which is truly the opposite of the scene earlier in the film. Zampano approaches it from an opposite direction than before, and the scene is even filmed at night, whereas the previous scene was filmed during the day. This juxtaposition of lighting and framing serves to make the audience remember the beach from earlier on in the film. Finally, Zampano gets to his knees and is shown at a high angle, implying that he has been defeated. His words say just as much as all he can do is utter Gelisomina’s name and cry at what he has lost and the fact that he cannot be redeemed. It is indeed a sad ending to the film, but it’s also effective in portraying an extreme shift in character.
In “La Strada,” Fellini shows the people in the film as outcasts through the mise-en-scène, composition, and sound. Zampano is surrounded by props that isolate him from the rest of the characters: his motorcycle, his distinctly dark clothing, and his circus trick. Fellini makes a very specific visual impression of Zampano on the viewers, this distinction making him stand out very much as a character and isolating him from the other characters. Besides the visual imprint Fellini leaves, there’s also a distinctive sound, namely his stocky voice and the motorcycle rumbling. These sounds are very distinctive to Zampano in the film, so when they are heard, the audience knows to expect him. His bulky frame and harsh character also isolate him - people seem to fear and isolate him because of it. This is especially clear in the scene where he comes to get Gelsomina after she decided to leave him. His presence starts off as an ominous motorcycle rumbling; since he’s the only one that could have this sound associated with him, we immediately feel his power. The lighting in this scene also contributes to it, the darkness of the set goes with his dark clothes and makes the whole scene about him, even though Gelsomina is what he’s focused on.
ReplyDeleteGelsomina’s character is characterized by her shy, unsure mannerisms. We see this in the film whenever Zampano imposes on her through the framing and lighting. Zampano’s darkness and motorcycle often overshadow her - he has her travel in the back of it whenever they move. Her light clothing also contrasts with Zampano - they’re about as opposite as characters can get. Zampano is presented as powerful, strongly contrasting Gelsomina’s fleeting, innocent character. Her sound becomes the music in the film. She starts off without a distinct sound, but as her character develops, it turns into the song that she plays on the trumpet all the time, which she learned from the Fool (also a very distinct character). The beach is also a very distinct part of her character - Zampano got her on the beach, and the scene in the film where she’s happiest is when he takes her back to the beach.
I think his “redemption” is shown by merging his and Gelsomina’s character in the final scene. When he leaves her, he’s partially there, but not fully until she’s dead and he recognizes the music. Fellini fuses Zampano’s character with Gelsomina’s - Zampano’s visuals with Gelsomina’s set and music. He recognizes the music and following it, finds out she died soon after he left her. Contrasting with his usual lack of emotional response, we see him deeply affected by this. His drinking scene at the end is completely different from the earlier one with the prettier. It’s much more destructive and sad than the flirty, fun one at the beginning. Gelsomina’s death permanently changes Zampano’s character, and that serves as his redemption.
The character of Zampano in Fellini's La Strada is a perfect summation of the encounters and mistakes that Fellini characters have. He is a brute, a sensitive one but not anywhere near admitting his sensitivity, and he struggles to find purpose in a monotonous and grueling life. Fellini centers La Strada around the deterioration of Zampano from muscular strong man into wandering joke. The hypersexualizaton and enhanced machismo of Zampano are put to work by Fellini to better portray his fall to Earth.
ReplyDeleteA simple yet highly effective way that Zampano is elevated and put in the place his is in the world of the film is simply by Fellini's exploitation of him. First, he exposes Zampano as much as possible in the film. Yes, he is a strong man and wouldn't wear a shirt, but the extensive use of scenes in which he does't wear a shirt act to almost strip Zampano of a truly human quality, to devalue his life in the sub conscience of the viewer.During the course of the film, the same scene, or at least a similar scene of Zampano performing his act with a crowd surrounding him on all sides is performed. It seems as though each time the act is performed, the wide shots of the crowd and Zampano have a higher angle, and the closeups of the strong man become more and more intense. Zampano is portrayed as an object of society, a slave to people's entertainment and one who suffers long and hard without much time for real emotion.
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ReplyDeleteIt is easily said the Zampano is the most changing character in the Fellini's La Strada. He goes through a transformation of character that only truly shows its colors because of Gelsomina. As the movie progresses the character's foil against eachother and more than once does Gelsomina portrays her character as strong and in control, where then Zampano ends up being the more soft character. He also tries to be in control, but the character dynamic is different and Fellini tends to put Gelsomina in control of the relationship. Especially after she falls in love with Zampano.
ReplyDeleteOnce Fellini introduces Gelsomina's crush it adds another dimension to how the characters foil together as 'outcasts'. Zampano is a strong man, but not in control of Gelsomina the way that he would wish he was. Gelsomina is a woman, but not in the normal way. She doesn't have womanly features and is often called out for looking like a young boy and because of her wide eyes she is called unattractive and creepy. Once she falls for Zampano she is in control of whether or not she stays, not Zampano.
We see this when he returns for Gelsomina when she runs away from Zampano, and when he can't control what she does. Even though he says to stay away from the other circus character's Gelsomina finds a place where she can finally be treated better and finally be recognized as a person with emotions. Zampano fights for her and ends up in jail, and when Gelsomina ends up waiting for him he fights back from the relationship. Due to Zampano always wanting to be the 'strong man' and never actually being him, he puts himself in the position hes in at the end. When he walks back into the town and asks about Gelsomina. He is hurt inside and finally realizes that she was the only person that understood and was 100% loyal to him. He never trusted anyone shown by how he wouldn't stay in a circus, and Gelsomina put her trust 100% in Zampano even though he was an awful person. Overall Zampano slowly evolves into a person that realizes Gelsomina and how he can benefit off relationships around him. He learns to trust other people and not be a complete outcast by the end of the movie.
Carson Bloomingdale (not letting me login?)
Frederico Fellini’s semi-neorealist film of 1954, La Strada, is a symbolic look into the life of outcasts that is laced with the mystical dream-like qualities of a Fellini film. Fellini, being interested in memory and perception gives us the pure stereotype of a “Macho” man that we hate at first glance but who undergoes such a redemption that it is impossible to deny his quintessential goodness, this character being the ‘Strong Man’ Zampano. Through this auteur's use of costume design and symbolism within diegetic elements we see that Zampano is not only outcasted by society and locked within the cultural standards of his time, but we also see his character undergo redemption when he finally allows himself to trust Gelsomina and even fight for what he loves, in this instance he has redeemed himself because as an audience we can relate and empathize with him now that he explicitly exhibits strong human emotion. When discussing Zampano’s growth it is important to also consider Gelsomina’s character, because of her responsibility in emphasizing Zampano’s traits of being outcast and also due to her actions that evoked the humanity with Zampano, hence redeeming his character.
ReplyDeleteThe costume design is notable with Zampano’s character because throughout the film, he either hides within the dark and heavy tones of his clothing or we are subjected to his utter humanity when confronted with his naked torso. Zampano repeatedly wears dark and heavy clothing, for example in the scene where him and Gelsomina are camping out after his first performance he is wearing a dark grey sweater, black pants, and a black hat. The costume design of this scene allows Zampano to stand out from the light rock surroundings around their makeshift campsite, and therefore be outcasted even when he is not in a group of individuals. The heaviness of Zampano’s outfit juxtaposed with Gelsomina’s light checkered jacket emphasize his outcast characteristics, as this heavy, thick exterior implies that he hides within himself and seldom acts anything other than a Strong Man, this thick look serves as a metaphor for the emotional barrier Zampano possesses.
When the brute Zampano ubiquitously performs his circus trick he is always shirtless. This implies that he is nothing more than the muscles on his body. In films such as Stephen Fung’s House of Fury, characters who appear shirtless are often thought of as being most human and relatable which is why when Zampano is shirtless for his act it is so unfortunately ironic. The essence of his act is to show is outer, physical abilities, this act also disregards his deep humanity. Moreover, having Zampano be shirtless in this scene shows that he believes he is worth nothing more than his physical attributes which completely strips Zampano of his human qualities. Referring to Roger Ebert's review of this film he states: “They are always turning away from the warmth and safety of those who understand them, to seek restlessly in the barren world.” The shirtless Zampano does not only reject safety and warmth within Gelsomina, but by the act of him not wearing a shirt he rejects warmth and safety for himself which further reveals how he is an outcast.
Another instance of Zumpano's symbolic costume design is in the final scene of the film where Zampano runs to the ocean looking for answers it does not have. In this scene he is wearing a dark suit that is open with a white striped shirt unbuttoned underneath. This outfit is striking and represents Zampano's denouement of his moment of redemption as we see Zampano’s outer shell dwindling away and opening up, with his open suit coat. The striped and unbuttoned shirt underneath this coat also reveal not only that he has escaped the bars of jail, but that he has broken out of his internal prison cell and is now open (hence his unbuttoned shirt) to answers from Fellini’s infamous beach.
DeleteOverall, this is a heart-wrenching and tragic film as we see Zampano grow out of the chains of society both literally with his final circus trick and figuratively through his final costume design. But due to Fellini’s continuous themes throughout his films we know the ocean has nothing to offer Zampano and he fought through his hardships only to be gifted with the empty promises of his tragic character flaw.
"La Strada" essentially chronicles the tale of Zampano as viewed from the perspective of Gelsomina. He initially is portrayed as a stupid brute, but by the end of the film we see that within his heart beats a chest as human as Gelsomina's. The tragedy of his character comes from his refusal to acknowledge his humanity, and his aimless wandering in search of the emotion he won't let himself have.
ReplyDeleteThroughout the film he is blunt and emotionally stunted, forcing Gelsomina to work hard and live on the road for months on end. Yet despite his barbs and abuse toward her, we see the occasional soft-spoken line or moment of tenderness that he allows to slip through in spite of himself. The Fool acts as his foil in the film, and the fact that he is everything that Zampano doesn't know he wants to be fills the latter with a rage he can't explain. The acrobat is emotionally uninhibited and even kind to Gelsomina, yet the audience doesn't sympathize with him because he has a cruel quality. From his jeering laugh to the way he is positioned onscreen, always in a condescending reclining position, his inner nature is opposite Zampano's hidden compassion. When Zampano thrashes the Fool to death, his blind rage mirrors his conscious mind's rejection of his own subconscious gentler nature. The remorse he feels after accidentally killing his rival not only foreshadows the final scene but hints at his inner conflict.
The final scene in which Zampano collapses on the beach, tearing at his clothes and clawing at the sand is an animalistic explosion of emotion that he can't process. He truly loves Gelsomina. This is something that he doesn't know himself, but he feels it. No matter how he tries to squash down his emotions, it kills him that he's lost her. Zampano is redeemed by being revealed, among the crashing waves and harsh moonlight, to be tragically human.
La Strada is a film directed by Frederico Fellini in 1950 that explored the roles of societal outcasts and "different" people in Italy. It's also an exploration of the harsh circus world, where freaks perform for the "normal" people.
ReplyDeleteZampano is an outcast, because he is violent and has poor social skills. He acts rudely towards others whether or not they treat him well. It is suggested that he cannot really feel deep emotion through his characterization. However, this turns out to be untrue, as he develops feelings for Gelsomina. His characterization as a one-dimensional character makes it all the more surprising when he steps out of that mold. There is a theory in literature that I believe can be applied well to this film - great characters cannot be pigeonholed to one stereotype or another. This is especially true with Zampano.
The relationship between Zampano and Gelsomina is interesting because they are both outcasts. Zampano is harsh to everyone, whereas Gelsomina is a dreamer and a soft person. Gelsomina seems to genuinely love him despite his (apparent) hatred of her, and offers him the redemption that he deeply desires. It shows how bad his people skills are, however, when he drives her away for fear of seeming weak. Eventually he knows that he will break her, so he leaves her behind. This sets the stage for another emotion that we didn't think he could feel - remorse. He cries about Gelsomina's death because he knows that he killed the one woman who could truly love him.