Bitter Rice (1949)
Bitter Rice is a 1949 Italian film made by Lux Film, written and directed by Giuseppe De Santis. Produced by Dino De Laurentiis, starring Silvana Mangano, Raf Vallone, Doris Dowling and Vittorio Gassman, Bitter Rice was a commercial success in Europe and America. It was a product of the Italian neorealism style. The film was nominated for the 1950 Academy Award for Best Story. It was also entered into the 1949 Cannes Film Festival. The Italian title is based on a pun; since the Italian word riso means both "rice" and "laughter", Riso amaro means both "bitter laughter" and "bitter rice" in light of the story.
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