La Strada ending explained

What happens

Years after leaving the dying Gelsomina asleep in the cold, Zampanò hears her tune and learns she died alone. He gets drunk, goes down to the beach and breaks down beneath the stars, finally feeling what he has lost.

The last image

Zampanò, alone on the dark beach, falls to his knees and weeps beneath the night sky.

What it says

Zampanò only understands Gelsomina's worth once she is gone, and that is the film's point: people fail to value those closest to them in time. His tears are a late, painful awakening.