Bellissima is an Italian neorealism

Italian neorealism

Italian neorealism is a style of film characterized by stories set amongst the poor and working class, filmed on location, frequently using nonprofessional actors...

 film by Italian

Italy

Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...

 director

Film director

A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...

 Luchino Visconti

Luchino Visconti

Luchino Visconti di Modrone, Count of Lonate Pozzolo was an Italian theatre, opera and cinema director, as well as a screenwriter. He is best known for his films The Leopard and Death in Venice .-Life:...

. The film is about and was shot at Cinecittà

Cinecittà

Cinecittà is a large film studio in Rome that is considered the hub of Italian cinema.-History:The studios were founded in 1937 by Benito Mussolini and his head of cinema Luigi Freddi for propaganda purposes, under the slogan "Il cinema è l'arma più forte"...

. Alessandro Blasetti

Alessandro Blasetti

Alessandro Blasetti was an Italian film director who influenced Italian neorealism with the film Quattro passi fra le nuvole...

, the film director, appears as himself.

Bellissima is a satire of the film industry, and centers around a mother and daughter after the latter attends an audition. Maddalena (Anna Magnani) is a stage mother

Stage mother

In the performing arts, a stage mother is a term for the mother of a child actor. The mother will often drive her child to auditions, make sure he or she is on the set on time, etc...

 who drags her daughter (Tina Apicella) to Cinecittà

Cinecittà

Cinecittà is a large film studio in Rome that is considered the hub of Italian cinema.-History:The studios were founded in 1937 by Benito Mussolini and his head of cinema Luigi Freddi for propaganda purposes, under the slogan "Il cinema è l'arma più forte"...

 for the "Prettiest Girl in Rome" contest.

Cast

• Anna Magnani
  Anna Magnani
  Anna Magnani was an Italian stage and film actress. She won the Academy Award for Best Actress, along with four other international awards, for her portrayal of a Sicilian widow in The Rose Tattoo....
  
   - Maddalena Cecconi
• Walter Chiari
  Walter Chiari
  Walter Chiari, stage name of Walter Annichiarico , was a hugely successful Italian stage and screen actor, mostly in comedy roles....
  
   - Alberto Annovazzi
• Tina Apicella - Maria Cecconi
• Gastone Renzelli - Spartaco Cecconi
• Tecla Scarano
  Tecla Scarano
  Tecla Scarano was an Italian film actress. She appeared in 34 films between 1937 and 1966.She was born and died in Naples, Italy.-Selected filmography:* Shoot Loud, Louder.....
  
   - Tilde Spernanzoni
• Lola Braccini - The wife of the photographer
• Anton Giulio Bragaglia
  Anton Giulio Bragaglia
  Anton Giulio Bragaglia was a pioneer in Italian Futurist photography and Futurist cinema. A versatile and intellectual artist with wide interests, he wrote about film, theatre, and dance.-Early life:...
  
   - The photographer
• Nora Ricci - The laundry girl
• Vittorina Benvenuti
• Linda Sini
  Linda Sini
  Linda Sini is an Italian film actress.She made 75 appearances between 1950 and 1979 and several appearances after this, mostly in film....
  
   - Mimmetta
• Teresa Battaggi - The snob mother
• Gisella Monaldi - The concierge
• Amalia Pellegrini

Awards

• Italian National Syndicate of Film Journalists Nastro d'Argento
  Nastro d'Argento
  The Nastro d'Argento is a movie award assigned each year, since 1946, for cinematic performances and production by Sindacato Nazionale dei Giornalisti Cinematografici Italiani, the association of Italian film critics...
  
  
  • Winner: Best Actress (Migliore Attrice)- Anna Magnani
    Anna Magnani
    Anna Magnani was an Italian stage and film actress. She won the Academy Award for Best Actress, along with four other international awards, for her portrayal of a Sicilian widow in The Rose Tattoo....
    
    

External links

• Pauline Kael
  Pauline Kael
  Pauline Kael was an American film critic who wrote for The New Yorker magazine from 1968 to 1991. Earlier in her career, her work appeared in City Lights, McCall's and The New Republic....
  
  's review : http://web.archive.org/web/20091026191214/http://geocities.com/paulinekaelreviews/b3.html
• DVDbeaver review: http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film2/DVDReviews32/bellissima.htm