Bellissima

Synopsis

A fiery working-class Roman tenement mother squanders her family's meager life savings on voice lessons, elocution, dressmakers, and bribes to enter her shy, fragile little daughter into a Cinecittà child actress casting contest, until discovering the cruel cynicism of the film industry when directors mock her weeping child on a screen test. Luchino Visconti's tragicomic cinema satire featuring Anna Magnani's volcanic, powerhouse performance.