Bellissima

Anna Magnani is outstanding as a pushy mother in this pungent anti-showbiz satire.

  • Director

    Luchino Visconti

  • With

    Anna Magnani, Walter Chiari

  • Italy 1951. 114min

  • Digital 4K (restoration)

  • Certificate

    PG

  • English subtitles

Anna Magnani gives a stunning performance as an ambitious stage mother in this cautionary tale of working-class show-business dreams and cruel exploitation. When a Roman film company holds auditions for a child actor, Maddelena will stop at nothing to get her young daughter to the top. By turns darkly funny and poignant, this outlier in Visconti’s career is an underappreciated gem.

Restored in 4K in 2023 by CSC – Cineteca Nazionale in collaboration with Compass Film at the Studio Cine S.r.l. laboratory.

Courtesy of CSC – Cineteca Nazionale

CSC – Cineteca Nazionale