This is the 3rd Luchino Visconti film that I've watched, the other two being 'Ossessione' and 'La Terra Trema'. What's interesting about these 3 films is that although all of them contain the quintessential neo-realist backdrop of post war Italian helplessness and melancholy, each of them have a distinct and separate tone to them. 'Ossessione' was an erotic thriller and 'La Terra Trema' was a socially conscious family drama. 'Bellissima' on the other hand has a much more lighthearted comedic tone. The central element of a mother desperately wanting her daughter to win a talent contest serves the same thematic purpose as the actual bicycle in De Sica's 'Bicycle Thieves'. It represents something deeper about the mother and also the post war Italian working class in general. The film also features a really confident, assertive and dynamic performance by the great Anna Magnani. She drives the film forward through sheer personality. However having said all that, I don't think 'Bellissima' comes anywhere close to reaching the heights of 'Ossessione' and 'La Terra Trema' which I think are masterpieces. It's worth a watch, but I don't think it is a film to desperately seek out.
Review of Bellissima
