Bellissima

Bellissima, directed by Luchino Visconti, is the story of a melodramatic, middle-class mother, Maddelena (Anna Magnani), who is determined to have her daughter, Maria, win a beauty contest that will secure her a leading role in a new film. Maria is dragged from casting session, to photo shoot, to acting lessons, to dance rehearsal, so that she can become the star her mother never was. Magnani's character is chaotic and relentless, and although she sacrifices everything to help her daugher, her attempts are quite misguided. Eventually, Maria wins the contest and is offered a contract, but Maddelena finally realizes she has acted more out of her own unfulfilled desires than her daughter's best interests. The film ends when the contract is refused and the pair returns home.

Visconti uses Bellissima to mock the film industry, specifically Hollywood and it's Italian counterpart, Cinecitta. With the explosion of American films into Italian cinema’s after WWII, Italy's cultural identity was inundated with new perspectives, such as a woman's roles in society and changing beauty ideals. Bellissima provides commentary on both these issues.

In terms of women’s roles, Anna Magnani's character arguably represents a modern woman: independent, ambitious, and outspoken. For example, despite her husband’s disapproval of her plans for Maria, he has very little say in the matter as Maddelena takes complete control. Ironically, her goals for her daughter would not be considered modern. Beauty pageants present a much more traditional role for women, where looks are valued above most everything else. In this sense, Maddelena's struggle between modern and traditional symbolizes the Italian nation’s struggle between holding on to the past and making room for the future.

In terms of beauty ideals, Visconti – being a neorealist director – favors traditional beauty over the sexualized, manufactured beauty associated with Hollywood. Anna Magnani has the dark features traditionally found in Italian woman, and as she has come to be identified as the mother of Rome, audiences associate her as traditional. Furthermore, it is Italian tradition that “ beauty belongs in the face” and as we see countless times in Bellisima, Visconti tends to focus the camera on Magnani’s face rather than her figure. Once again, this represents Italy’s struggle between old values and new ideals.