# 189 Le notti di Cabiria (1957)

Le notti di Cabiria, also known as Nights of Cabiria is a film directed by Fellini, which tells us a story about a prostitute from Rome who lives in her own little house, with water, electricity, bottled gas, and basically can take care of herself. She dreams of something good happening to her, a major life change, and all of a sudden she runs into a man who is generous, caring, and doesn't care about what she does for a living.

First of all, Giulietta Masina, Fellini's wife, does a great job playing the lead, and no other movie has ever made me sympathize with a hooker so much. She is really charismatic, and so easy to like, that I'm sure I was not the only one who wanted to forget about her occupation and see something good happen in her life. Without giving away the ending, I'm just gonna say that it's very dramatic, the final scene by the river had my heart beating really fast.

My favorite part of the film is when Cabiria meets a movie star who take her to his luxurious villa while trying to forget about the girlfriend he'd just broken up with, but ends up abandoning Cabiria when the girlfriend returns to make it up to him. That part of the movie reveals how fragile and vulnerable Cabiria is, it shows what she's really like. Of course she doesn't belong there, in that actor's world, but at the same time she doesn't belong in the prostitute world either.

When I reviewed 8½, one of my followers, Jump Raven, said that it was not the best movie to start watching Fellini with. Now I see that he was absolutely right. Nights of Cabiria was a totally different experience. It was easier to understand due to its linear structure, but at the same time it's very powerful on the emotional level. Highly recommended to everyone who hasn't seen it yet.

Interesting fact: According to Federico Fellini's assistant Dominique Delouche, actor 'Francois Perier' was hired so the film could get financing as a French co-production.

Favorite quote: "What are you saying? Marry me? What are you saying? Marry someone you've seen ten times. That's not how it's done. Really! Thank God I'm an honest woman.That's not how it's done. Excuse-me!"