A fantastic odyssey into the back alley horrors of postwar Rome, a story that delivers so much joy and tragedy in equal measure. Fellini is operating at peak form, weaving together a tale rooted in economic hardship but also reaching towards vistas of fantasy and surrealism. 

NIGHTS OF CABIRIA is a hard pill to swallow, but it's also, weirdly enough, a hopeful one. 

Giulietta Masina is everything. This woman knows how to command a performance! She plays Cabiria, a victim and survivor multiple times over, a hooker with a heart of steel who desperately clings to any semblance of happiness against cruel tides of misfortune. Set back after set back, she tirelessly fights against circumstances not of her own making, yearning only to love and be loved in return. Fellini could have ended this film way darker than he did, but, like Cabiria, he seems to be smiling at the grim realities of neorealist storytelling and politely saying "fuck you." 

Life may imprison us with devastating lows and unforgiving circumstances, but we emerge from these experiences with hope and enriched understanding. Deep down there is disappointment, but even deeper there is abiding joy.  

It's a beautiful vision of humanity. 

One that can only rightly be called "Felliniesque."

Fellini Ranked