In Luchino Visconti’s Bellissima Anna Magnani plays Maddalena Cecconi, a star struck mother who takes her child to a contest held by a movie studio looking for a young girl to star in their next film. When her daughter Maria (Tina Apicella) is one of the selected winners of the audition Maddalena begins to throw herself into giving her daughter every chance at getting the part; ballet lessons, acting lessons, handmade dresses, fancy haircuts, the works. In the meantime Maddalena begins to ignore her husband Spartaco (Gastone Renzelli) and gambles their money on this dream, money that had been set aside to help them build a better life with a new home in a better location. Will Maddalena’s efforts end up undoing everything they’ve worked up to in life so far or will her sacrifices pay off and give her daughter a future she would otherwise never have achieved without this opportunity.

Unlike Visconti’s La Terra Trema this film feels more formulated, created for cinematic drama rather then a practice in humanities to provoke deep insight. Magnani is a tour de force in her role as Maddalena Cecconi. She spits rapid fire dialogue I haven’t seen the likes of since Edward Norton’s performance in American History X. Her entire body displays a wide range of emotion that looks genuine and adds to the depth of the film and her part in it. She is simply amazing, at times downright obnoxious to be honest. It needs to be said though that if an artists is not drawing you into the mood and making you feel, I mean really react, then their not doing their job. Magnani plays her part to perfection.

The story on the other hand felt a bit weak. It’s like a small child testing the limits. As a person with life experience you know what’s coming, you know that people can be untrustworthy, especially when it comes to money (hello bankers of the world). Yet the film simply progresses down a very slippery slope that you know will not end well. Think of Will Smith in The Pursuit of Happiness and then just pretend it ends with Smith having sacrificed everything and losing that particular gamble. That’s not exactly what happens here but the end of the film is a sobering tale about not putting to much faith that the world will reward you for sacrifice and hard work. As far as a Disney ending this film’s finale is a double edged sword that will either leave you satisfied or completely agitated. I felt conflicted as I tried to see the film through the eyes of a parent as well as through the eyes of simply someone who would go to a movie simply to see a satisfactory ending that brings the film together. I have a feeling in it’s time, and with this new release that will bring new viewers to its legacy, there will be a lot more fence sitters. As always final judgment is yours.