Bellissima

A wonderful, poignant masterpiece by the great Visconti and Anna-the-Great-Magnani. On the surface, it is a simple story about a mother's obsession to use her little daughter's appearance to escape the poverty of post-war Italy. What transpires is the cruel truth about the beauty- and illusion-making industry (cinema), with all its inherent cynicism, at a time when hunger for the daily bread was equaled by hunger for fantasy and beauty.

I've seen this movie only once, ages ago, and it still remains with me as one of the most unforgettable films I have ever seen. In a world that has seen hundreds of thousands of films that is no small feat.