2021 Tarkovsky Prize 3rd Place: Katherine Song

LA STRADA: Unfortunately, It Didn’t Make Me Cry

by Katherine Song

There exists a saying in Italian: "Chi causa del suo mal, pianga se stesso", directly translated as "he who has caused his own pain cries to himself'1. In the movie La Strada, often credited to its director Federico Fellini, protagonist Gelsomina is sold off to a traveling strongman, Zampano, whose brutish and violent behavior contrasts with Gelsomina's kind and innocent personality. They travel along the Italian countryside, putting on shows, until they come across II Matto, a talented tightrope walker, whose provocative actions eventually lead to his death at the hands of Zampano. Gelsomina, tom up by II Matto's death, becomes withdrawn and Zampano eventually leaves her behind by the shoreline, but when he comes back to see her years later, he is greeted by the knowledge of her death, ending the movie's final scene as he cries by the sea. Indeed, he who has caused his own pain—Zampano, by killing II Matto and causing Gelsomina's grief, only for her to die from it—only has himself to cry to, having lost the one person willing to stay by his side. To a modern audience, well familiar with atrocities and tragedy on a daily basis, La Strada does not evoke the same sense of grief as it would to its audience during its release. However, I found the development and the end the three main characters come to ultimately tragic, giving La Strada its bittersweet emotions transcending time.

II Matto, The Fool, is the first to die, whose end is tragic because of its abruptness. When he finally stands, having had his head bashed by Zampano (his death banishing from the world the talent Zampano sorely lacks) he comments on how his watch is broken, before stumbling away and collapsing. He gets no final dramatic last words, no words of wisdom to pass on—it seems as if he himself does not realize his impending death. Furthermore, his death is meaningless: even Zampano himself calls it an accident, which does not absolve him of any guilt nor responsibility for snuffing out a life, but an accident nonetheless. If enough effort is put in, anyone could blame The Fool's death on himself; if he hadn't provoked Zampano so, he may have never been caught up in his temper. But that would be a hypothetical and justifying murder, which is impossible considering II Matto's actions never surpassed simple pranks. No one gains anything from his death, and considering how he may have been the most likeable character thus far, it really does give one the impression that his death could've and should've been avoided—instead of burning to ashes. And more on how likeable II Matto was; when introduced, he's a direct parallel to Zampano. II Matto is witty, talented at what he does in the circus, and has a friendly relationship with his assistant. On the contrary, Zampano is brutish, quite stupid, and treats Gelsomina as a wife he's all too eager to cheat on and beat on. Because of Zampano's lackluster performances and appalling behavior thus far, II Matto appears to shine the moment he enters the stage. II Matto is also quick to encourage Gelsomina to learn the trumpet Zampano prohibited her from learning, and cheers her up by imparting upon her that, "I don't know for what that stone is good, but it has got its function. Or everything would be meaningless. Even the stars." He tells Gelsomina that she is needed, that she has a purpose, and that is far more gentle and encouraging than Zampano has ever been, forcing one to root for II Matto. And then he dies at the very hand of the person anyone would be cheering for Gelsomina to run away from. If it is any consolation, II Matto appears to be the only character unshackled by circumstance, who remains in control of his life even as Zampano has it in his hands. "Dal riso molto conosci stolto." A fool is ever laughing.

Gelsomina dies not long after II Matto does, whose final, broken down moments remain heartbreaking. It's hard seeing someone like her, who has eventually come out of every conflict smiling and optimistic, finally break down and lose what made her so likeable and persevering even in the face of adversity. Throughout the film, we're introduced to how she is able to move on from every issue in her life with a strength amplified by her optimistic and kind but naive nature. When she's sold off by her own family for ten thousand livres, she eventually moves on from them while waving and putting on a smile, before seeming to forget about it. When Zampano hits and mistreats her, she always eventually comes back, even as her audience pleads for her not to. Her breaking point, however, is when Zampano kills the one person who encourages her, II Matto. This is prevalent especially because prior to her being sold off, she shows no such grief for her sister Rosa's death. To have suffered such abuse throughout a lifetime, and yet the death of the one person who left a kind imprint on her leads to her own passing—how tragic a heroine. It's interesting to note how during his death, she doesn't quite acknowledge the words verbally. She says, "He feels bad." Not "he's dead." Not "you have killed him." By using such limited vocabulary with none of the bluntness, Gelsomina comes across as childishly naive, unable to express the truth she knows: that he's dead and never coming back. As she breaks down, she repeats, "II Matto, he feels bad." As the audience, we aren't even privy to her final moments; we see Zampano leave her behind as she sleeps, with only a blanket and a trumpet for company, and come back to news of her death years later. We aren't given the opportunity to process the loss of our protagonist. But then again, neither is Zampano, which brings us to our final character.

Zampano, unlike the others, survives but creates his own devastating ending—he isn't given the chance to develop, and only seems to understand his own cruelty after it's far too late. He resembles a child, a huge one with only the ability to destroy and not create, leaving behind him a trail of regret. He has no talents but brute strength, repeating his same show while stuck in a loop of inferiority. He prohibits Gelsomina from learning the trumpet to hold her back, and to every person he comes across he takes credit from Gelsomina by proclaiming that he "taught her everything." Zampano is, in my opinion, unredeemable with no qualities that can explain why Gelsomina chose to stay with him. He is unintelligent, far from creative, and will leave to sleep with other women right in front of Gelsomina, neglecting her completely. However, he calls her his wife despite having no intention of truly getting married and when she runs away, chases her down and beats her. He is selfish, choosing to steal from the nuns after being shown kindness, and at the very end when the bartender tries to help him from drinking himself into a stupor, he responds violently and angrily. He is the very image of a villain, and just as we start to see him take care of Gelsomina that implies he thinks of her as more than a plaything, he reverts right back as soon as she starts to show signs of improvement. And when he sees she will not, he abandons her. This cowardice, his inability to continue staying with Gelsomina as she did for him, reveals his true nature. At the end of the movie, we see he hasn't changed at all. But when he breaks down and cries after Gelsomina's death is revealed, we start to see the slightest bit of humanity in him, gained far too late. How many Zampanos are there in the world, hurting others until they come to realization? How many never learn their faults? This is something I don't think I want to know.

In some way, each character leads to the downfall of another. II Matto is directly killed by Zampano due to his aggravation of the latter. Gelsomina dies from the shock and grief of II Matto's death—and while it can be arguable considering Zampano manipulated and mistreated Gelsomina far before II Matto's death, it is his death that becomes the catalyst for her breaking down. And Gelsomina's death gives Zampano his long overdue grief at the end of the movie by the sea, with no one to comfort him or respond to him. It's practically impossible to feel sympathy for him, with his own actions having led to these consequences, but he remains a tragic figure nonetheless. None of three main characters get a happy ending, which is sadly reflective of reality. La strada, translated as "the road", is the path these three characters take, intertwining for one brief moment before separating and terminating.