Nights of Cabiria (1957)

Nights of Cabiria is my forth Fellini film, and if you remember, I was impressed with La Strada. I decided to go for Fellini's other early masterwork, Nights of Cabiria. I loved it, although not as much as La Strada or 8 1/2, but it was still great.

It's about a prostitute, Cabiria. The plot isn't the most compelling narrative, when you really break it down, as it's mostly just her nights spent in the city, looking for something, anything to give her life meaning. A while into the movie, it really hit me; this film is all about lonliness. Cabiria's life is simply full of lonliness, and that's what defines her nightly quests throughout Rome.

As usual, Fellini creates a great atmosphere, a comprehensive world for his characters to inhabit and interact with. Nino Rota's score is great as usual, however, not as obtrusive as his later scores. Not that it's a bad thing, his scores as usually always great, but Cabiria's doesn't call as much attention to itself.

There's a lot of underlying Religious aspects as well, Roman-Catholic I believe. Of course, the scene at the Church where the woman pray to Madonna. Also, the hynotist's scene where Cabiria is filmed from behind the stage, with a crown of brances on her head and the spotlight casting a white glow around her body. Not to mention Cabiria's assertion that Oscar is "a saint, an angel". And those are only from the first viewing.

I really liked the ending sequence, the way everything kind of came full circle for Cabiria, based on the opening scene. Although, I'm not entirely sure what the very end signifies, but it is very Fellini. Has she learned from her mistakes? Or, is she simply blissful in her ignorance?