The Road

Gelsomina (Giulietta Masina) is a naïve young woman sold by her desperate mother to boorish strongman Zampanò (Anthony Quinn) to be both his wife and performance assistant as he tours central Italy. Zampanò - a brute by trade and by nature - repeatedly abuses Gelsomina as she struggles to learn the ropes; meanwhile, she finds a kindred spirit in his rival the Fool (Richard Basehart). Soon all three find themselves part of the same traveling circus, but with tragic consequences.