The Shape of Love ◆ A Sinful Entertainer and an Angel on the Road

Chunichi Shimbun, Morning Edition, September 1, 2006

There are many forms of love between a man and a woman.

Federico Fellini’s masterpiece La Strada (1954) tells the poignant story of a journey shared by a rough and violent street performer and his innocent young assistant. Zampanò (Anthony Quinn) is a traveling strongman who earns a living by performing a simple but impressive act: wrapping a chain around his chest and breaking it with brute force. Traveling from town to town in a three-wheeled vehicle, he makes his living entertaining crowds.

His assistant is Gelsomina (Giulietta Masina), a young woman with a mild intellectual disability. In postwar Italy, practices resembling human trafficking still existed. Zampanò pays a large sum of money to her family and effectively purchases her as his assistant.

Using a tree branch as a whip, he disciplines her harshly while training her for the act. At night, he treats her as an outlet for his own desires. Yet Gelsomina remains endlessly curious and full of wonder. She gradually finds meaning in helping Zampanò bring joy to audiences and comes to enjoy their life on the road. Over time, however, she grows increasingly troubled by his casual affairs with other women. She begins to ask herself, “What am I to him?” When she attempts to leave, she is beaten and forced to stay.

One day, while performing with a circus, Zampanò becomes involved in a violent altercation and is sent to jail. Fellow circus performers urge Gelsomina to leave him while she has the chance. She refuses. “If I leave,” she says, “he’ll be all alone.”

By then, Zampanò himself has developed genuine affection for Gelsomina. Yet his clumsy, emotionally inarticulate nature prevents him from expressing his feelings. Then a tragic incident occurs, leaving Gelsomina emotionally shattered. Zampanò is distraught but powerless to help her. In the end, he abandons her and continues his travels alone. Several years later, he learns of her death. Overwhelmed by grief and regret, he collapses in tears, crying out in anguish.

Fellini seems to portray Zampanò as a symbol of sinful humanity and Gelsomina as an earthly angel. Why is it that, despite all his faults, Zampanò remains strangely difficult to hate? That question lingers long after the film ends. As we ponder it, we can also savor the remarkable performances of two great actors from more than half a century ago.

Director, Kayukawa Clinic, Yuhei Kayukawa, M.D. >