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	Nights of Cabiria Giulietta Masina was one of the best comic actresses of the twentieth century and Cabiria is her greatest role Reviewed by Bruce Cantwell Cabiria (Giulietta Masina), a good natured prostitute, has ventured into the posh side of town. A hotel doorman doesn't want her on his sidewalk. Suddenly a glamorous blonde (Dorian Gray) comes out followed by a famous movie star (Amedeo Nazzari). They're fighting. The blonde drives away and the movie star orders Cabiria to get into his sports car. Whisked away to a nightclub, Cabiria fights her way through the curtained entrance with the forced nonchalance and bewilderment that Peter Sellers mastered as Inspector Clouseau. Cabiria takes in the bizarre floor show (two lithe dark-skinned dancers) and the bored, glamorous prostitutes sitting alone at their tables. When the band cuts into a mambo and the movie star asks her to dance, Cabiria is as happy as two dogs. She cuts loose and does something resembling a Lindy Hop as her famous date looks on. This animated scene written on Cabiria's expressive face, and flailing arms and legs captures the magic of Giulietta Masina, that tiny cartoon of a comedienne. Feisty Cabiria is fiercely independent. She owns her miniature house in an all but abandoned section of town and she clearly doesn't spend a fortune on clothes. But she hasn't given up on the possibility of a better life. This plucky hopefulness is the catalyst to all of her adventures. The restored version of the film, which I've seen both in the theater and on DVD is an improvement over previously available versions. There's a demonstration of the difference between the old video transfer and the new and the comparison is breathtaking. But NIGHTS OF CABIRIA is clearly not for film buffs only. This is the story that Neil Simon and Cy Coleman adapted for Broadway's SWEET CHARITY. I watched a few scenes with the dubbed English track and the movie played just fine.	Search Now:
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