Most critics respond warmly to Nights of Cabiria, with praise concentrated on Giulietta Masina’s performance. The reviews repeatedly describe her Cabiria as expressive, emotionally vivid and resilient, finding both fragility and exuberance in the character. Fellini’s sympathy for her also draws admiration, particularly his ability to find hope amid hardship. Several critics find the film deeply moving, while its mixture of satire and melancholy gives the praise a broader basis than the central performance alone.
The disagreement concerns how persuasively that hope survives the suffering. The Guardian supplies the main dissent, admiring Masina’s exuberance but finding the cruelty hard to bear and the optimism unconvincing. The spread therefore runs from strong enthusiasm to qualified admiration, rather than outright rejection. Even the reservation leaves the consensus around Masina largely intact; the emotional treatment of Cabiria divides critics more than the acting does.