The story unfolds with Anthony Quinn showing up. Seems he gets his assistants from a woman with many children. The eldest (Rosa) has died (we have no idea how or what from – she had a fever??) and Tony has shown up for a new assistant. With 10,000 lire he “hires” the next oldest daughter. Though you’d think that she’d be a bit, well, PISSED to be sold to Tony and forced to live the life of a gypsy clown – she actually WANTS to live the life of a gypsy clown. She wants to see the world, sing, dance, live and explore.

So off they go on what quickly turns into a road trip movie. She is the clown to Tony’s lead. Tony plays a strong man with massive pecs who can BEND A CHAIN. I know, hold back your shock. He quickly trains (through using a switch) his assistant to announce his arrival and basically MC his performance. It takes her a while to learn this but soon they’re having some success.

Flush with said success they go out to dinner where she eats both lamb AND veal and he drinks both 2 or 3 liters of wine and then high-tails it out of town with a woman of the evening leaving his wonderful assistant wondering what is going on. Still…she sticks with him.

When he returns to get her, she confronts his sexual ways and he tells her to mind her own business. You see, within a few minutes we know that she’s smitten with him but that he doesn’t give a rat’s ass about her.

After a couple more performances he pisses her off to the point where she runs away from him and ends up in a town square where “The Fool” performs a high-wire act. Smitten by the fool, she sees what can REALLY be done when you’re clowning and taking risks. Still…she’s alone with no real motivation to move forward (though there’s a scene where she sees people walking religious icons around and she’s moved by it).

The next morning Tony shows up in his modified motorcycle-motorhome and orders her to get in.

I guess tired of going it on their own, they officially join a circus where “The Fool” (and handsome bugger at that) also performs. Seems he and Tony have a bit of a history and he likes to get on Tony’s nerves and he hates him and after “The Fool” interrupts his amazing CHAIN BENDING PERFORMANCE – Tony goes after him. So there’s going to be some blood shed…you just know it.

A few days later, and now in Rome, “The Fool” is trying to incorporate her in their act. Tony will have none of it. When “TF” throws a bucket of water on Mr. “I CAN BEND CHAINS!” – it is so on – it’s off! Tony chases the guy down and ends up getting arrested.

Distraught as to what to do, our Sad Clown is welcomed to travel with the group (GO!) but she doesn’t know what to do. She meets up with “TF” who offers to take her with him (GO!) but she does not. Then he tells her that her purpose is to stay with Tony (NO!) so the next morning she waits dutifully outside the jail.

On the road once again, they stay at a convent. The Sisters, fearing for our “SC” offer to let her stay with them (GO!) but she doesn’t. Even after Tony steals from NUNS! (The guy steals from NUNS! – And he bends chains.)

Resolved to live her life of subservient sad clowness – they continue to travel the back roads of Italy running into…guess who?! “The Fool!” Seems he’s got a bit of a flat tire. Tony decides that he’s going to rough the guy up a bit but ends up killing him. Dumping the body in a ravine and then tipping over the guy’s car (much better act than bending chains – if you ask me) – they go on the run.

Here’s where the PTSD sets in. Seems the “SC” is now REALLY bummed about the dead guy and her lack of caring boyfriend – so she stays in bed for days, mumbles “The Fool!” and looks sadly at Tony who tells her to shut up…repeatedly.

Having had enough, he slips the stolen silver (I think – I couldn’t tell in my 7″ screen) under a blanket she’s resting on and he leaves her to die or….

Cut to: YEARS later. Tony has met up with another circus act and, yes, he’s still bending chains (HASN’T EVERYONE IN ITALY SEEN THIS ACT BY NOW?).

When he overhears a woman humming a song that “SC” used to perform – he talks to the woman. She tells him the story of the strange depressed lady who died a few years back. How she loved to sit out the sun. It all confirms to Tony that, yes, indeed the sweet sad clown he left by the side of the road lived and died without him.

Now finally realizing that he did, indeed, love the “SC” – he performs – but his heart is not in it (but he still bends the chain). And then, that night, on the shores he cries and claws at the dirt – his heart finally broken. FINE! (Yes, FINE in Italian, FIN in French, SLUT in German.)

WHAT I LIKED ABOUT THIS FILM:

The woman who played the sad clown was amazingly good. Sweet, cute and hilarious all at the same time. Anthony Quinn was also very good in what was, basically, a one-note role. There’s no character arc, nor does there really need to be one. Yes, at the end, he’s devastated but…my heart didn’t really break for him. He beat his companion, killed a man, slept around and bent some chains. What’s to love? Not a whole helluva lot.

WHAT I DISLIKED ABOUT THIS FILM:

Though the character that Tony played was off-putting, he was off-putting in the way that Robert Duvall played “The Great Santini” – he’s an asshole. You know this. It’s up to you whether or not you want to put up with for 100 minutes or so. So, yeah, his character grated on me a bit and her putting up with it also grated on me. I so much wanted her to have a better life for herself. Either with “The Fool” or with the Nuns or with the other circus members but, alas, she stays with abusive Tony. Did I like this? No. Does it ruin the film for me? No. Because, sadly, it’s true in real life, too. I would have liked to have seen something more than bent chains (though the tipping of the car was cool).

OVERALL:

Interesting film. I would recommend it for the “SC” actress. She was very, VERY, good. I don’t know if I would raise it to the “classic” status that it’s in. There was still enough off-putting material and lack of character development in the role Quinn played that still kept me at a distance. Watchable. Enjoyable.