Realism v. Hollywood

Director Luchino Visconti was still firmly tethered to the Italian neo-realist movement when he made <em>Bellissima</em> in 1951. His sets were the streets and crowded apartments of Rome\'s working class districtsalong with the nation\'s major film studio, Cinecitta. The madcap story is a comedy starring Anna Magnani as a stage mom (and irrepressible force of nature) whose delusions over her shy, eight-year old daughter\'s prospects as a movie starlet form a commentary on the entertainment industry as an escape from reality\'s more pressing concerns. Subtly reinforcing the theme are the outdoor screenings of Hollywood movies on the shabby Roman streets, symbolizing the aspirations the stage mom hoped to achieve through her daughter\'s career in pictures. <em>Bellissima</em> and Visconti\'s 1948 film <em>La Terra Trema</em> have just been released on DVD.