GREAT CINEMAMASTER LIST
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great film.

Search 713 spoiler-free recommendations from 1916 to 2026. Filter by the night you want—not the list you’re supposed to finish.

Direct film viewShowing master rank #215 on its own—not above the ranking.
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Artwork
DirectorAll directors

Most represented · 6+ films

More recurring directors · 3–5 films54
All directors · surname A–Z438
ActorAll actors

Most represented actors

Big Three membership
Major award winners

1 selected film

Master Rank balances Greatness, Engagement, and Ease. Sort by Greatness for the artistic-canon view.

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View Nights of Cabiria film page
Original poster artwork · Great Cinema Master List

Spoiler-free premise

A resilient woman working on the streets of Rome continues searching for affection and a better life.

Read expanded premiseLonger, still spoiler-free

Cabiria, a sex worker in Rome, repeatedly rebuilds her hope after betrayal and humiliation. Encounters with a film star, a religious procession, a hypnotist, and a seemingly earnest accountant renew her desire for affection and a different life.

Why it belongs

Federico Fellini gives resilience a full physical vocabulary, moving from comic bravado to devastating openness without sentimentality.

Read expanded why it belongsThe fuller editorial case

Giulietta Masina's walk, chin, eyes, and sudden smiles make hope feel courageous rather than naive. Rome's streets, processions, nightclubs, fields, and performance spaces carry Cabiria through shifting social worlds.

Major award record

Metadata only · zero points in 40/40/20
Academy Awards1 win1958 · official ceremony record ↗

Plus 1 additional win

No headline-category win to name

Cannes1 win1957 · official festival record ↗
Award for Best Actress (Remis à l'unanimité)1957 · Giulietta MASINAofficial festival record ↗

Totals include every recorded competitive win. Only Picture or top-film honors, Direction, Screenplay, and lead or supporting performances are named.

Good for
Film Club
Descriptive guidance derived from rating, genre, runtime, mood, and GCML scores.

Institutional reference ranks

Sight & Sound—IMDb Top 250—AFI 100—
Reference metadata only · not part of the 40/40/20 score

Great Cinema Master List scores

Greatness9.4
Engagement8.8
Ease8.3

Italian · Not Rated
Narrative Feature
Mood: Absorbing & Reflective