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Bellissima is a 1951 Italian drama film directed by Luchino Visconti and starring Anna Magnani, Walter Chiari and Tecla Scarano.[2] In 2008, the film was included on the Italian Ministry of Cultural Heritage’s 100 Italian films to be saved, a list of 100 films that "have changed the collective memory of the country between 1942 and 1978."[3]
| Bellissima | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Luchino Visconti |
| Written by | Cesare Zavattini Suso Cecchi d'Amico Francesco Rosi Luchino Visconti |
| Produced by | Salvo D'Angelo |
| Starring | Anna Magnani Walter Chiari Tina Apicella Gastone Renzelli Tecla Scarano Arturo Bragaglia Alessandro Blasetti |
| Cinematography | Piero Portalupi |
| Edited by | Mario Serandrei |
| Music by | Franco Mannino, inspired by Donizetti's L'elisir d'amore |
Production company | Film Bellissima |
| Distributed by | CEI Incom |
Release date |
|
Running time | 115 minutes |
| Country | Italy |
| Language | Italian |
| Box office | $6,800[1] |
Plot
editBellissima centers on a working-class mother in Rome, Maddalena, who drags her young daughter to Cinecittà Studios to attend an audition for a new film by Alessandro Blasetti. Maddalena's efforts to promote her daughter grow increasingly frenzied.
Cast
edit- Anna Magnani as Maddalena Cecconi
- Walter Chiari as Alberto Annovazzi
- Tina Apicella as Maria Cecconi
- Gastone Renzelli as Spartaco Cecconi
- Tecla Scarano as Tilde Spernanzoni
- Lola Braccini as the photographer's wife
- Arturo Bragaglia as the photographer
- Nora Ricci as the laundry girl
- Vittorina Benvenuti
- Linda Sini as Mimmetta
- Teresa Battaggi as a mother
- Gisella Monaldi as a concierge
- Amalia Pellegrini
- Corrado Mantoni as radio announcer
Production
editAlessandro Blasetti, a contemporary film director, appears as himself. Keeping in with the tradition of Italian neorealism a number of roles went to members of the public.[citation needed] Magnani played a part in their selection, approving of Gastone Renzelli a butcher who was cast as her husband.[4]
The film's sets were designed by Gianni Polidori. It was shot at the Cinecittà Studios, which appear prominently in the film. It was not a box office success.[5]
Reception
editOn the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 80% of 5 critics' reviews are positive.[6]
Awards
edit- Nastro d'Argento for Best Actress Anna Magnani
References
edit- ↑ "Bellissima (1951)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved May 4, 2026.
- ↑ Nowell-Smith, Geoffrey (2019). Luchino Visconti. Bloomsbury Publishing. ISBN 9781838716974.
- ↑ "Ecco i cento film italiani da salvare Corriere della Sera". www.corriere.it. Retrieved 2021-03-11.
- ↑ Gundle p.3
- ↑ Gundle p.4
- ↑ "Bellissima". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 2026-05-15.
Bibliography
edit- Gundle, Stephen (4 November 2019). Fame Amid the Ruins: Italian Film Stardom in the Age of Neorealism. Berghahn Books. ISBN 9781789200010.
External links
edit- Bellissima at IMDb
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