Nights of Cabiria (Le notti di Cabiria) the 1957 film by Federico Fellini stars his wife (actress and impressive physical comedienne) Giulietta Masina as the childlike prostitute, Cabiria. The film follows her as she gains and loses love, suffering repeated heartbreak at the hands of her male suitors, all the while negotiating her evenings of work on the wayward streets of Ostia, a rough and tumble section of Rome. Cabiria is the quintessential little lady in the big city, a precursor to the Carrie Bradshaw's of late, taking on the heady task of survival with impressive wit, strength, and clarity. After each tumble her Chaplin-esque eyebrows and gestures assure you that she is as okay as ever, her romantic, innocent nature somehow remaining intact. Quick to explosive episodes of both rage and joy, she embraces each facet of her existence with an endearing honesty and resilience. The O.G. of the prostitute-with-a-heart-of-gold genre (Pretty Woman is a pale echo by comparison) Fellini and Masina paint an eloquent, human portrait that feels very current despite being nearly fifty years old.
