Nights of Cabiria
A Federico Fellini film that deals with Cabiria, a hooker in the suburbs of Rome, and her weird experiences, including almost being drowned by a man, going to a progression, meeting a famous actor and wondering if she should change her ways. The problem is that she is a fairly idealistic person against a very cynic world.
Tropes used in Nights of Cabiria include:
- Book Ends: The film starts and finishes with a man robbing Cabiria’s purse alongside a river. Also, both men contemplate on throwing her to the river; the first one does it..
- Contrived Coincidence: Cabiria makes a fool of herself in a show courting with an imaginary man named Oscar. Then it turns out there was a man in the audience really named Oscar, who falls for her. What a coincidence! Although, of course, he probably was lying about his name.
- Fourth Date Marriage: Oscar proposes to Cabiria at the tenth date. She and her friend Wanda lampshade it. Deconstructed
- Hooker with a Heart of Gold: Underneath the tough exterior, she is a sweet woman who really cares about what happens to other people, and only wants to be happy.
- Huge Guy, Tiny Girl: Cabiria and Alberto Lazzari.
- Looking for Love In All the Wrong Places
- Mood Whiplash: Throughout the movie. For instance, the movie starts with Cabiria and her lover goofing around near a river, looking like a heartwarming moment between two lovers, then he throws her to the river and steals her stuff.
- No Antagonist: There's no antagonists per se, Cabiria is just an unlucky girl in a very cynic world.
- One Head Taller: Cabiria is very short, so it tends to happen; especially when she meets the actor Alberto Lazzari.
- The Pollyanna
- Single Woman Seeks Good Man
- Throwing Off the Disability: Amleto’s uncle tries to do this, failing spectacularly.