Nights of Cabiria

This is a superb vehicle for a very much on-form Giulietta Masina in the title role. She is a lady of the night whom we see, right at the start, being shoved into the river by her robber boyfriend and left to drown. Rescued thanks to an alert local urchin and a few locals. she is shaken but largely undeterred! From now on, we follow her on her continuing escapades as she defiantly refuses to give up on love. She thinks she has lucked out with a champagne and caviar film actor, but is soon further disillusioned and it is only a chance encounter with the rather unassuming "D'Onofrio" (François ...