Rome, 1957. A woman, Cabiria, is robbed and left to drown by her boyfriend, Giorgio. Rescued, she resumes her life and tries her best to find happiness in a cynical world. Even when she thinks her struggles are over and she has found happiness and contentment, things may not be what they seem.
This is a superb vehicle for a very much on-form Giulietta Masina in the title role. She is a lady of the night whom we see, right at the start, being shoved into the river by her robber boyfriend and left to drown. Rescued thanks to an alert local urchin and a few locals. she is shaken but largely undeterred! From now on, we follow her on her continuing escapades as she defiantly refuses to give up on love. She thinks she has lucked out with a champagne and caviar film actor, but is soon further disillusioned and it is only a chance encounter with the rather unassuming "D'Onofrio" (François Périer) who had admired her on stage one evening, that things might - just might - offer our wandering spirit that which her heart desires most. Fellini uses the still largely war-torn streets of Rome as an effective backdrop to this most human of stories, and the writing allows Miss Masina to deliver her quick-fire, frequently comical (and always unerringly optimistic) dialogue expertly. She is very much in her element as the story develops. There is an air of cynicism to the whole thing, but somehow her character manages to punch through it - and that's what made this entertaining for me. It could have been just a procedural and predictable drama, but it isn't. There are no certainties with the plot. Indeed, the only certainty is that she is never going to give up! The supporting cast deliver really effectively - either as characters with a direct bearing on her life ("Wanda" (Franca Marzi) for example) or as a means for the audience to recalibrate and come up for air for a moment or two. It's an emotional film, but not a sentimental one - and I really enjoyed it