Bitter Rice (Riso Amaro)
Directed by Giuseppe De Santis
Written by Giuseppe De Santis, Corrado Alvaro, Carlo Lizzani, etc.
1949/Italy
Lux Film
Repeat viewing/Hulu Plus
[box] “Cutting stalks at noon time, Perspiration drips to the earth. Know you that your bowl of rice, Each grain from hardship comes?” — Cheng Chan-Pao[/box]
At the time, I suspect that the main attraction of this film was sizzling-hot teenager Silvana Magnano’s dancing and all those lady field hands in short shorts. It’s got a few other things going for it as well.
As the film begins, a reporter informs the audience of the centuries-long tradition of women doing seasonal labor in Italy’s rice fields.
Walter (Vittorio Gassman, Ossesione) and Francesca (Doris Dowling), his girlfriend, are at the train station preparing to escape following the robbery of an expensive necklace from her employer. The police are hot on their trail and Walter attempts to hide by joining the lucious Silvana (Silvana Magnana), one of the women waiting there for a train to the rice field, in a raucous boogie woogie. Eventually Walter gives the necklace to Francesca and tells her to mix in with the women while he makes a fast retreat.
Francesca follows instructions. Silvana shows her the ropes on arrival but turns against her when she finds the necklace. Friction develops between a group of women who have arrived without union contracts and the union workers. Solidarity prevails and gradually Francesca is accepted and comes to appreciate her fellow-workers simple, honest way of life. Silvana is being courted by Marco (Raff Vallone), a soldier. She isn’t interested in much more than friendship.
Eventually Walter shows up to throw a spanner in the works. The greedy ingrate begins to plan a major rice robbery and to seduce Silvana with the necklace and talk of marriage. Will Francesca finally stand up to him?
This starts out looking like it might be neo-realist fare but soon enough takes a rather melodramatic operatic turn. It was hard for me to take my eyes off the magnetic Silvana Magnano. When I did, there were plenty of other striking mages of work and life on the Italian countryside to keep me interested.
Giuseppi De Santis and Carlo Lizzani were nominated for an Academy Award for Best Writing, Motion Picture Story.
Clip – Introduction
Trailer (no subtitles but you can see what the fuss was about)
