Bellissima

Somewhere between the neorealism of LA TERRA TREMA and the baroque stylizations of THE LEOPARD and DEATH IN VENICE lies the stylized realism of BELLISSIMA. A transitional film for Luchino Visconti (as would be his follow-up to BELLISSIMA, SENSO), BELLISSIMA has, curiously, not received nearly as much attention in the US as have his other films. Thankfully, with its video release this remarkable film will now be available for those interested in Anna Magnani, Visconti, and/or the Italian neorealist movement. The story is a simple one--Maddalena Cecconi (Magnani) is a working-class mother who hears of a motion picture audition to find "the most beautiful bambina in R...