Then comes one of the best scenes in the film, where The Fool, later that night, displays humor and cruelty, wisdom and arrogance, by mocking Gelsomina’s looks, her feelings for Zampano and his for her. He offers her a job on the road with him, after the circus has offered her a job, after banning both Zampano and The Fool from their employ, and he may be expressing sexual feelings of love for her, yet knows that he cannot compete for her heart against Zampano — whatever bizarre hold the brute has on her. He even seems to have a perverse sort of affection and contemptuous admiration for Zampano, and finally wishes Gelsomina to stay with him, and improve his enemy’s miserable life, as her own purpose, for the most important thing he imparts to her is a sense of self-worth by declaring that even a pebble has a purpose in the universe. He says, "Everything in this world is good for something... If it were useless, then everything would be useless - even the stars."
Gelsomina recognizes this, if not intellectually then emotionally, and feels she belongs with Zampano. The Fool realizes this, as well, and drives her to the jail where Zampano will be released in the morning, and leaves her, but not before giving her a necklace to remember him by. What makes the scenes between The Fool and Gelsomina special is not because it is so philosophically deep, but it’s a poor man’s version of philosophy borne out of a need for simple human kindness that The Fool is loath to show, but does anyway, even if it aids his foe.
After Zampano is released, the pair stay at a convent, with kindly nuns, for a night, where Zampano is unable to even hold a conversation, and tries to steal some gold pieces, while Gelsomina ponders life at the convent. The two hit the road again, and encounter The Fool’s car, with a flat tire on the side of a road. Zampano attacks him, and accidentally kills The Fool. He dumps the body in a ravine, and also pushes the car over the side. While never mentioned, it is likely that the antagonism between the two men resulted from a similar ending for Gelsomina’s sister, Rosa, at the hands of Zampano, who like Lennie Small from John Steinbeck’s Of Mice And Men, also does not realize his own strength, for his shock at The Fool’s death seems genuine. He even later states to Gelsomina that he only hit him twice, although clearly he is rationalizing, for three or more punches are seen onscreen. In many ways, this film is much like Steinbeck’s other Great Depression era classic, The Grapes Of Wrath, in that a poor life on the road seems to always lead to death.
Article comments
1 - Rodney Welch
I think the Kael comment is kinda brilliant. I've never heard that said before.
2 - Harkiran
thank you. absolutely marvellous:)