BEAUTIFUL (Bellissima) (1952) - ♦♦♦♦♦

Directed by - Luchino Visconti

Written by - Cesare Zavattini, Suso Cecchi D'Amico, Francesco Rosi, Luchino Visconti

Starring - Anna Magnani, Walter Chiari

"A mother desperately seeks to get her daughter cast in a movie, for which a studio is holding open auditions, in order for her to have a brighter future ahead than the life of strains she leads.

Bellissima is a stand out film in the Italian neo-realism wave, and one of Visconti's best works. Here, he teams up with leading lady Anna Magnani who delivers a powerful performance. Much like the best of the works from this influential period in cinema, Visconti draws on the regional identity of its setting, in this case Romanesque, and the unhappiness of a working class that struggles to make its money last until the end of the week.

Despite the rich dramatic undertones that this film carries, with strong comments on the social comments of its times which still feel terribly relevant to this day, Bellissima is not stuck in strict melodramatic mode but squeezes some humour out of the tragedy of the story. This use of comedy not only makes the film more entertaining whilst retaining the seriousness and respect for the dramatic elements of the narratives, but also perhaps enhances the message the lie at the core of the film and the heartwarming tale of the love for a mother towards a daughter, but also the selfishness that can spin out of such a strong bond of protectiveness."

Drama, Italy