She starred with Anthony Quinn in Fellini's "La Strada" (1954), playing the abused stooge of Quinn's travelling circus strongman. She won the Best Actress Award at the Cannes Film Festival for her portrayal of the title role in Fellini's "Nights of Cabiria" (1957). She played a prostitute who endures life's tragedies and disappointments with both innocence and resilience of biblical proportions. The movie received the Academy Award for Best Foreign-Language Film. In a 1998 "New York Times" review, Janet Maslin wrote that there is more "grace and courage" in Masina's performance than "all the fire-breathing blockbusters Hollywood has to offer."