La Strada


I couldn't help but think of La Strada when I watched this. It occurred to me earlier, but it really hit me when Hattie made the sad face after Emmet told her he was going to Hollywood; it was a dead ringer for Gelsomina. Of course the way he treated her throughout and his breakdown at the end were far from subtle as well. Now I know the trivia mentions this link, but does anybody know if Woody Allen confirmed this? I'm not doubting he did of course; the similarities are too abundant to think otherwise. But the trivia section here, and I'm sure you know this as well as I, doesn't have incredible integrity and should usually be taken with a grain of salt. So does anybody know if Allen has stated that he was paying a homage to Fellini?

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I've never heard him say so.
He did pay homage to "8 1/2" with "Stardust Memories."

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Mr Allen does not have to say it specifically -it is common knowledge Fellini and Bergman are two of his most important 'mentors' and he has paid homages to them before.
(Personally I think he's a great director in his own right, in fact the greatest now living and working in America, and doesn't need to pay homage to anyone, unless he really wants to - people should pay homage to him)

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I'm a big Allen fan myself, and while I don't feel he NEEDS to pay homage to anyone, I also think that no director should be so proud as to think it is below them.

Obviously I'm not saying this is the case with Allen; he is still humble enough to say "I may be great, but if it weren't for these other greats, I may not have been so great."

And I'm not questioning whether this was a homage or not: obviously it was. I am only wondering if there is any record of him saying it.

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Not to my knowledge.
Perhaps it's because it's rather obvious.

What I'm perhaps trying to say is that homages has always been there but they were more subtle, more of an inspiration for a certain scene or personae - while more recently, not least in Allens earlier films, they're blunt, even to the point of pure spoof of a scene, which isn't a good homage anyway. A good example of a nice homage is the singing of the Marseillaise in Casablanca, surely inspired by a very similiar scene in The Grand Illusion.
Now, I'm NOT saying that the homage in Sweet and Lowdown is blunt, but on the whole I think the reputation of Allen has suffered from too many homages. He is a great filmmaker, with great integrity, and with a style that noone can or will be able to duplicate. Yes, everyone is inspired by others, and yes, it is humble o say it - but I hope you get my point.

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Another Allen homage is his "Deconstructing Harry" to Bergman's "Wild Strawberries"

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Allen films are full of hommages to Fellini. Purple Rose of Cairo has things from The White Sheik. Radio Days, from Amarcord. Stardust Memories, from 8 1/2. And of course, Sweet and Lowdown, from La Strada.

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Wow. I came here to ask the same exact question. You are right. Gelsomina and Hattie look and act the same. The relationship between Emmet and Hattie seems like a kid-gloved version of the abusive relationship between Zampano and Gelsomina.

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There's something that touches my heart about 'La Strada', that makes it one of my favorite Fellini films.

'Sweet and Lowdown' is great because of so many things. Its influences, the humor, the musician's angle.

"Wanna go to the dump and shoot some rats?"

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I totally agree with this comment.

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wuck foody allen!

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I always figured Fellini as more of a technical filmmaker. Granted, La Strada was a great film. Great in it's use of negative imagery more than anything else. I wasn't a fan of of all that Juliet of the Spirit and Satyricon stuff, I found it incredibly indulgent. He's one of the most indulgent filmmakers. He really is.
This mission does not exist, nor will it ever exist.

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What I wouldn't give for a large sock with horse manure in it.

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Sean Penn's posture (semi-fetal) ws so similar to Anthony Quinn's on the beach in the end of La Strada there is no missing it.

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Probably, he is a Fellini fan (one of this top 10 filmmakers) and there are several references to other Fellini films in Allen's films. Like in his newest To Rome with Love: One story line is definitely inspired by The White Sheik Like an other user mentioned there's references to 8 1/2 (one of his all time favorite films I read).

Mavis, I'm a married man!

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