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Bitter Rice
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Bitter Rice
Bitter Rice (Italian: Riso amaro [ˈriːso aˈmaːro, ˈriːzo -]) is a 1949 Italian neorealist crime drama film directed and co-written by Giuseppe De Santis, produced by Dino De Laurentiis, and starring Vittorio Gassman, Doris Dowling, Silvana Mangano, and Raf Vallone. The story follows a pair of fugitives, who hide among the rice fields of northern Italy. The Italian title of the film is based on a pun; since the Italian word riso can mean either "rice" or "laughter", riso amaro can be taken to mean either "bitter laughter" or "bitter rice".
Released by Lux Film, Bitter Rice was a commercial success in Europe and the United States. It was nominated for the Palme d'Or at the 1949 Cannes Film Festival, and was nominated for the 1950 Academy Award for Best Story.
In 2008, the film was included on the Italian Ministry of Cultural Heritage’s 100 Italian films to be saved, a list of 100 films that "have changed the collective memory of the country between 1942 and 1978."
A group of policeman patrol a train station where crowds of female workers are boarding trains for the rice paddies in the Province of Vercelli, in the upper reaches of Piedmont in the Po Valley, searching for the thieves who stole a valuable necklace. The thieves, Francesca and Walter, attempt to board a train without detection, with Walter briefly using rice worker Silvana as a distraction. Walter is identified, but Francesca escapes with the necklace onto the planters' train. There, she befriends Silvana who suspects her of lying about her identity and introduces her to the planters' way of life.
Francesca does not have a work permit, and struggles with the other "illegals" to find a place on the rice fields. At their lodgings, Silvana and Francesca meet a soon-to-be-discharged soldier, Marco, who unsuccessfully tries to attract Silvana's interest. Silvana steals the necklace from Francesca and ultimately incites a riot between the "illegals" and documented workers. Marco convinces Silvana to return the necklace, and the women reconcile. The documented and undocumented workers agree to work together and protest to the bosses until they agree allow the "illegals" a place in the fields.
Toward the end of the working season, Walter arrives at the rice farm, takes the necklace (revealed to be a fake), and becomes involved in a plot to steal a large quantity of rice. Francesca, having realized the abusive nature of Walter, refuses to help him rob the overworked women. However, Silvana becomes attracted to Walter's criminal lifestyle and he manipulates her with promises of marriage and wealth. Walter's attitude to Silvana changes frequently between cruelty and adoration, causing Silvana's psyche to deteriorate rapidly. Francesca eventually discovers their involvement and warns Marco, who is reluctant to believe her.
As a distraction for the heist, Silvana floods the rice fields during the celebration for the end of the working season. The flooding prevents Walter's accomplices from driving with the stolen rice, and they are caught by the workers. Francesca and Marco confront Silvana and Walter, during which Walter stabs Marco and Francesca shoots Walter. Francesca and Silvana face each other, each armed with hand-guns, and Silvana offers the necklace in exchange for their freedom. Francesca reveals it is a fake and Silvana has been manipulated by Walter. In response, Silvana turns her gun on Walter and kills him, before leaving in a daze. Francesca chases after Silvana, but is unable to prevent her from jumping to her death.
The following day, Francesca and Marco attend Silvana's funeral. As the other rice workers depart, they pay tribute to her by sprinkling rice upon her body.
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Bitter Rice
Bitter Rice (Italian: Riso amaro [ˈriːso aˈmaːro, ˈriːzo -]) is a 1949 Italian neorealist crime drama film directed and co-written by Giuseppe De Santis, produced by Dino De Laurentiis, and starring Vittorio Gassman, Doris Dowling, Silvana Mangano, and Raf Vallone. The story follows a pair of fugitives, who hide among the rice fields of northern Italy. The Italian title of the film is based on a pun; since the Italian word riso can mean either "rice" or "laughter", riso amaro can be taken to mean either "bitter laughter" or "bitter rice".
Released by Lux Film, Bitter Rice was a commercial success in Europe and the United States. It was nominated for the Palme d'Or at the 1949 Cannes Film Festival, and was nominated for the 1950 Academy Award for Best Story.
In 2008, the film was included on the Italian Ministry of Cultural Heritage’s 100 Italian films to be saved, a list of 100 films that "have changed the collective memory of the country between 1942 and 1978."
A group of policeman patrol a train station where crowds of female workers are boarding trains for the rice paddies in the Province of Vercelli, in the upper reaches of Piedmont in the Po Valley, searching for the thieves who stole a valuable necklace. The thieves, Francesca and Walter, attempt to board a train without detection, with Walter briefly using rice worker Silvana as a distraction. Walter is identified, but Francesca escapes with the necklace onto the planters' train. There, she befriends Silvana who suspects her of lying about her identity and introduces her to the planters' way of life.
Francesca does not have a work permit, and struggles with the other "illegals" to find a place on the rice fields. At their lodgings, Silvana and Francesca meet a soon-to-be-discharged soldier, Marco, who unsuccessfully tries to attract Silvana's interest. Silvana steals the necklace from Francesca and ultimately incites a riot between the "illegals" and documented workers. Marco convinces Silvana to return the necklace, and the women reconcile. The documented and undocumented workers agree to work together and protest to the bosses until they agree allow the "illegals" a place in the fields.
Toward the end of the working season, Walter arrives at the rice farm, takes the necklace (revealed to be a fake), and becomes involved in a plot to steal a large quantity of rice. Francesca, having realized the abusive nature of Walter, refuses to help him rob the overworked women. However, Silvana becomes attracted to Walter's criminal lifestyle and he manipulates her with promises of marriage and wealth. Walter's attitude to Silvana changes frequently between cruelty and adoration, causing Silvana's psyche to deteriorate rapidly. Francesca eventually discovers their involvement and warns Marco, who is reluctant to believe her.
As a distraction for the heist, Silvana floods the rice fields during the celebration for the end of the working season. The flooding prevents Walter's accomplices from driving with the stolen rice, and they are caught by the workers. Francesca and Marco confront Silvana and Walter, during which Walter stabs Marco and Francesca shoots Walter. Francesca and Silvana face each other, each armed with hand-guns, and Silvana offers the necklace in exchange for their freedom. Francesca reveals it is a fake and Silvana has been manipulated by Walter. In response, Silvana turns her gun on Walter and kills him, before leaving in a daze. Francesca chases after Silvana, but is unable to prevent her from jumping to her death.
The following day, Francesca and Marco attend Silvana's funeral. As the other rice workers depart, they pay tribute to her by sprinkling rice upon her body.