Word: gelsomina
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Dates: during 1990-1999
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...Gelsomina's (Guilietta Masina) sister Rosa has already died on the road with Zampano's (Anthony Quinn) one-man travelling show when "La Strada begins." Needing another assistant, Zampano returns to Rosa's village where the girls' mother agrees to sell Gelsomina to Zampano also, in exchange for 10,000 lire. The other children are going hungry and Gelsomina herself is regarded as somewhat worthless; she is exceedingly timid and does no work to help the family. If this exchange seems somewhat coldhearted, it only hints at the treatment Gelsomina will receive throughout the rest of the film...
Zampano is a bully at best. He calls himself an artist, but really he is nothing but a circus sideshow performer. He works by himself, travelling from town to town and breaking iron chains with his chest muscles. Gelsomina rides in the motorcycle's sidecar and keeps house for Zampano. He also trains her to blow a trumpet and give the drum roll which announce his presence on stage. He beats her with a switch and curses at her until she gets it right...