La Strada(1954)
Zampano is a man who can wrap a chain “stronger than steel” and by expanding his pectoral muscles, break it free. That is how he makes his living, touring venues in what seems to be an italian village from a dream, with all the country scenery, people with raggedy clothes, and brick walls characteristic of the villages of old.
So, he marries this vagabond girl, Gelsomnia, whom people think she looks like a artichoke. She seems so innocent and confused by everything around her yet so full of life and desire to experience what the world has to offer. Why would anybody marry her, she wonders. Zampano doesn’t care that much about her; he's inviting women to his table willy nilly. It is just that he wanted somebody to help him play the trumpet while on tour.
Gelsomina starts to get frustrated when Zampano starts treating her like in an abusive manner like she's there to only make things happen to him. Someone from the circus jumps in and dissuade her from leaving Zampano when she starts to seriously considers it.
Everything changes when Zampano punches the man and accidentally kill him because he distracted him on one of his shows when he said that somebody was waiting for him on the phone while he was mid contraction of his pectoral muscles. Gelsomina, being the innocent, naive girl that she is, couldn’t take it, so Zampano leaves her lest he ends up in prison.
Years later, he learns that the girl, whom nobody knew who she was, has passed away from fever. Upon hearing the news, a part of Zampano's soul has irredemiebly ruptured; the hole will never be filled again. Gelsomina meant something to Zampano after all.