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.
Masina is immensely touching, through an extraordinary range of emotions.
– Bob Graham,
San Francisco Chronicle,
1 Jan 2000
fresh:
The gift of Cabiria's essence, freed from the determinism of stories, is to return us to our own.
– Jonathan Rosenbaum,
Chicago Reader,
1 Jan 2000
fresh:
Through [Masina's] unforgettable performance, Cabiria will endure as long as anyone cares to watch transcendence projected on a screen.
– Kenneth Turan,
Los Angeles Times,
13 Feb 2001
fresh:
Even in the mutilated version of the film, Masina shone and sparkled in her shabby role.
– Andrew Sarris,
New York Observer,
19 May 2005
fresh:
What makes the character so poignant is that her final fortification is not her street wisdom -- that's all surface -- but her innocence. Her ultimate protection is our sympathy for her.