Vulcano

I'd never heard of the director of this film, William Dieterle, and if it weren't for a free showing, I would still be in ignorance. But without the star, Anna Magnani, I would bet it would be left in obscurity. Never having seen her acting, I wasn't familiar with her status in Italian cinema, but now I get it. Her expressive face, her laugh, her use of physical comedy... She is the embodiment of realism on screen. As a former prostitute sent back home to the island of Vulcano, off the coast of Napoli, she battles the recriminations of the women on the island and the naiveté of her sister who has fallen in love with a shyster. Not a perfect film at all (golly, those underwater scenes are dull), especially the ending that arrives abruptly and leaves you hanging about the outcome of Magnani's sacrifices. Dieterle does a masterly job in framing shots (could volcanic ash look any more poisonous and HOT?) and builds on the natural beauty of Italy. But the main reason to see the film is Magnani. If you don't enjoy her duet with the man from the parade, then you've missed how gifted she was. One of the most natural actresses I've ever seen on screen, no question.

year: 1950
length: 106 min.
rating: 2.5
IMDB link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0042030/combined