The origin
is that before this movie, she has already begun to affect the director Fellini's heart. At the end of his second film, "The White Chief," the character "Kabylia" appeared—a small, comical prostitute in a feather shawl and an umbrella-wielding prostitute. Her wide eyes and slightly neurotic expression were frozen in this way: she insisted on maintaining her inner isolation and pride in eccentric ways.
Later, in a humble little house near the ditch in Rome, Fellini, who was filming, met the real "Cabylia", a real-life prostitute. She was frightened and timid, a little crazy. After he gained her trust, he listened to her tell some of his own stories. In this regard, Fellini wrote in his notes: "...she described to me some of her stories, interspersed with cruel and ugly facts, insignificant lives, and other films that she knew at first glance were fakes she had seen. She stubbornly insists on confounding the two in order to be able to believe, heartbroken, that her unfortunate life is like the one she has embellished and narrated with the naive sensibility of an ignorant little girl. "
It can be said that this woman uses her tragic experience and naive temperament to paint a specific Kabylia, and light up the film's comical and poignant mood. Fellini's wife, Giulietta, reproduced all this on the screen with superb acting skills, and extended Kabylia's kind, straightforward, optimistic and positive characteristics, and performed the feelings of this ordinary little person brilliantly, touching everyone's heart. .
The part where Kabylia meets a big star seems abrupt, with comedy and exaggeration, and it is not as fluid as other parts. This part uses a plot that Fellini had co-written with a friend long ago when he was still writing for Rossellini. That scene was dropped by Rossellini, so it's here. It highlights the strong contrast between the big star and the little prostitute. Kabylia's pride, vanity, and indulging in fantasy come out in front of her, making people laugh at her overreaching.
And so, the film was born. It is the product of the interweaving of the real and the unreal. In the nascent period of neorealism, the film continues this tradition and transcends it: it depicts a complete personal emotion and inner world, rather than focusing only on external reality. The famous film critic Andre Bazin praised the film, calling it "the end of the neorealist mile".
Sunglasses
Sunglasses are an important prop in Fellini's films. In Fellini's later films, it is always on the standard prodigal face of Mastronia, a typical mark of Fellini's style.
In "Nights of Cabiria", the appearance of sunglasses becomes the key foreshadowing of the plot development. At the end of the film, Kabylia believes Oscar's sweet words and prepares to marry him. She sold her house and all her belongings, raising 400,000 lire. In the open-air cafe, she clutched a bundle of banknotes and smiled goofily. At this moment, Oscar, who was sitting across from her, was calm, and——with a pair of sunglasses on his face. He only lifted his sunglasses slightly in the middle, revealing his eyes - his eyes were focused on the bundle of money, other than that, we couldn't see his eyes.
The sunglasses concealed his thoughts and pretended that he had no love at all, but instead tried to hide it. Because at the beginning of the film, the heartbreaker who deliberately embezzled Kabylia's money and pushed her into the river was also wearing sunglasses! So, although Kabylia was elated and elated at this time, we still smelled a chill under the cover of the black block. This chill is terrifying. After all the previous episodes, we have accumulated enough sympathy for this humble character, and sincerely hope that she can jump out of the sea of misery and find happiness. But under the instructions of this pair of sunglasses, everything was about to come to nothing without her realizing it.
The opening scene will be repeated here. At that time, Kabylia was pushed into the river by George wearing sunglasses, struggling in the water for a long time before several children rescued her, but she did not express any gratitude, stubbornly thinking that her lover would not be because of her 40,000 lire in the country to kill her. She refused to face the reality of being cheated and victimized, so she was unwilling to accept the help of the kind villagers, and stumbled home alone. It took a while for him to come back to his senses, summon up the courage to accept the reality, and burn all the gifts and his photos that were going to be given to George, making a decisive cut. At the end of the film, poor Kabylia survived the disaster and went into a big circle, but unfortunately fell into the same trap again.
The house
is the only property Kabylia is proud of, the result of years of hard work, giving her a sense of superiority over other prostitutes. Whether it's a star-studded superstar, a benevolent doer, or a vaudeville magician making fun of her, she can't wait to say "I have my own house!" out loud. In a society divided by money, the house was a sign of her status and dignity, even though it was small and shabby in appearance. She is proud of "the person standing in front of you who has never slept under the bridge".
So, selling the house was the most self-sacrificing act she ever made. Kabylia's simple mind makes her bound to give everything under the influence of love. She thought that Oscar had nothing for her and felt that this was true love, so she gave her most precious things - love and property for him. For a woman like her, she must give everything to be at ease, just like dedicating herself to a believer of God.
As Kabylia is about to leave the house, the camera details her performance. She saw that the poor with their family and family were about to move in, and she couldn't believe it, but also reluctant to part with it. She is not ready to say goodbye to the small house that shelters from the wind and rain, and she is even more reluctant to see that her beloved house will be occupied by a poorer and sloppier family. But these reluctance and embarrassment were overcome by the beautiful ideal of marriage, she said "let's go" softly and bid farewell to it.
But when she was talking with Oscar in the outdoor cafe, she was crying with a large bundle of money in her hand: "But if you know how hard I work to earn this money...", she still looks like a fool without any scheming. . But the sadness and regret of selling the house are all in it, "What should I do when I am old, who is worried about my life when I am old?". She sacrificed herself for love, but repeatedly trusted inhumans. Her words hit Oscar's heart like a stone. She's doomed to lose both love and possessions, and
we're already starting to worry about her. What will Kabylia, who lost her house, look like?
Photo
Kabylia has been putting pictures of her on the wall from big stars. When she packed up and left the house, she took it off the wall and kissed: "One more look, one more look and I'm going to get married!". This photo records the most peculiar encounters and dreams in her laughing career, as well as the sadness after her dream was shattered.
When Kabylia met the big star, she had just experienced the betrayal of love, and she was very angry. The big star is also having a conflict with his girlfriend and is in a relationship crisis. By accident, he asks her to get into his car (please note that the tall girlfriend who insists on ignoring the big star also wears a pair of sunglasses when she comes out, which is a sign of a relationship destroyer. ). On the one hand, Kabylia marveled at being able to have such close contact with her idol, and on the other hand, because the star was also trapped in love, she developed a sympathy for each other. But this is only her unilateral imagination. In the eyes of the stars, she is just a poor and ridiculous little prostitute on the streets of Rome.
In the palace-like luxury villa, Kabylia was overwhelmed with amazement. When the star appears preoccupied with relationship issues, we can see him putting a picture of his girlfriend on the bedside table. Frustrated, he put the photo away. This scene is very reminiscent of Kabylia's table in front of her, and there are photos of her ex-boyfriend on the frame. Almost the same scenes and actions echo back and forth, putting Kabylia in the same position as the star - they're both in love.
She asked the star for an autographed photo as a souvenir, and her vanity needs a proof to show off her adventure to her peers. But the good times didn't last long. The star's girlfriend soon came to the villa and reconciled with him. Kabylia had to spend this lonely night in the bathroom. She saw their warm and sweet words through the keyhole. How can a frustrated person see that his partner who is also a fallen person from the end of the world immediately reconciles with his lover in bed? And he was still so embarrassed to stay in the bathroom. A dream that had not yet been brewed was shattered, and she lost the star who could have been with her tonight. And deeply realize the long distance between him and her - she can no longer have the feeling of betraying her lover, and he is already warm in his arms.
The emotional distance made her sad. You know, seeing the star's luxurious residence did not make her dwarfed, but proudly told him that he also has a comfortable little house, although it can't be compared with his, but it is also her warm home. She doesn't care about material differences.
Kabylia has a mixed affection for stars. Although she was hurt, she still hung his picture in a prominent position and boasted to others. She is willing to be a lowly fan, looking at her idol from afar.
The name
is obvious, "Cabylia" is just a pseudonym for the needs of the flesh business. Her real name is Maria.
Her pseudonym is always on the lips. Friends and female colleagues only know her name is Kabylia, and she is not too firm to say her pseudonym when the big star asks in the corridor. There is a solid boundary in her heart, the one who is sinking, mired, and has to sell her body for a living is called Kabylia; and there is actually another her in this world, who prayed with her mother when she was 15 years old , with long black hair, with all the beautiful and pure feelings, and the kindest and softest heart, her name is Maria, who has existed longer than Kabylia, but not everyone can recognize. This is her way of maintaining her dignity. It seems that many prostitutes like to use this method, such as Ayan in "Durian Fluttering".
Maria only appears when the truth is revealed. For example, Mr. Good Deeds, whom she ran into when she got lost. The gentleman carried a package and distributed various household necessities to the homeless poor. He acted like a miracle, and Kabylia was so moved that she couldn't be indifferent, but she couldn't do anything. So she solemnly told him her own name, and it was the first time the audience heard her real name: Maria. It seemed like a ritual to her, purifying her soul.
The second time the name appeared was when she was hypnotized by a magician. The magician made her who she hates to marry to meet an imaginary perfect man. Her face was serene and gentle, and her behavior was gentle and reserved, without a trace of licentiousness. She gently picked the imaginary flowers, like the purest and most elegant angel. At this moment, her name is Maria. However, she was so beautiful that she ruthlessly became the laughing stock in the eyes of the audience.
When she was with her lover, of course, she was also called Maria. So she never brings her lover to her house, "Everyone here knows who I am", but her lover only knows that she is Maria. What's special is that Oscar did not call her by name throughout the film, and the director did not make this line clearly visible.
"Picking flowers is the embodiment of good morals". At the end of the film, when Kabylia is taken to the forest by Oscar, she also picks flowers, this time in real flowers, and she sticks them in a bag full of money. When Oscar stumbled and snatched away the bag, Kabylia was devastated, and life was better than death. She knelt on the river bank, holding the flowers that fell from the bag in her hand. She has nothing but them now.
There are also moments of pilgrimage, her eyes are pious and agitated, and she calls out to the Virgin Mary, pinning her hopes for future life on miracles. And at that moment, she was also the worldly woman Mary, the 15-year-old Mary who prayed with her mother.
Song and
dance carnival is a scene that often appears in Fei's films. It is like a gate that escapes reality and ascends to fantasy, becoming the most frantic and jubilant redemption of life's predicaments. Through these scenes, it seems that Fellini can be seen grinning evilly behind the scenes.
Kabylia likes to dance in ecstasy, and when the music starts, she can't help dancing like a moving feather duster. Whether on the street or in a nightclub populated by the upper classes, she was just as engaged, regardless of whether she looked good or not. It's a dance to entertain herself, to put all her grief behind her.
The carnival at the end of the film is a stroke of genius. It saved Kabylia in reality and sent her to an inner space beyond reality. With her limbs stiff and lifeless, she turned around and became full of confidence and smiled at life. It is this stroke that makes Kabylia's emotional changes so natural and reasonable. Her emotions are fulfilled, but the plot ends there, making her an "unfinished" character. She thus took over our hearts and became our dearest sister and friend.
What will her life be like in the future? Continue your life of flesh and blood, maybe you will live under the bridge, maybe in a cave on the mountain, maybe you will be deceived again by one man, maybe you will meet that gentleman who comes and goes in a hurry. Her life is full of unknowns.
Kabylia is such a simple woman, with the flower of undefeated optimism always growing in her heart. She completed her salvation in singing and dancing. Her pain, her humility, vanished in the fiery ecstasy that came upon her. It was her tenacious weed-like vitality that illuminated her bleak life. We were moved by this, her vitality in such a gloomy environment made us sad, but she was smiling. She is the living miracle we see.
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