Bitter Rice

"An earthy drama of human passions among women rice workers in the Po Valley."

1949 1h 49m IT

🙌

7.5

BANGER

★7.5TMDB · 236

DramaCrime

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Francesca and Walter are two-bit criminals in Northern Italy, and, in an effort to avoid the police, Francesca joins a group of women rice workers. She meets the voluptuous peasant rice worker, Silvana, and the soon-to-be-discharged soldier, Marco. Walter follows her to the rice fields, and the four characters become involved in a complex plot involving robbery, love, and murder.

“An earthy drama of human passions among women rice workers in the Po Valley.”

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Cast

Doris Dowling
Francesca
Silvana Mangano
Silvana
Vittorio Gassman
Walter
Raf Vallone
Marco
Checco Rissone
Aristide
Nico Pepe
Beppe
Adriana Sivieri
Celeste
Lia Corelli
Amelia

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Giuseppe De Santis
Writers: Giuseppe De Santis, Giuseppe De Santis, Carlo Lizzani
Languages: Italian
Countries: Italy

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 7

ERA

Did you know

77 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Giuseppe De Santis, shot by Otello Martelli. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Goffredo Petrassi. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Gabriele Varriale shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 7

CAST

Did you know

Doris Dowling and Silvana Mangano and Vittorio Gassman carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 7

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "An earthy drama of human passions among women rice workers in the Po Valley.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 7

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0040737 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Giuseppe De Santis directs. Otello Martelli behind the camera. Goffredo Petrassi scores. Gabriele Varriale cuts. Produced in Italy. Dialogue in Italian.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

177 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
2Directed by Giuseppe De Santis, shot by Otello Martelli. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
3Original score by Goffredo Petrassi. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
4Editor Gabriele Varriale shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
5Doris Dowling and Silvana Mangano and Vittorio Gassman carry the top of the cast.
6Marketing tagline: "An earthy drama of human passions among women rice workers in the Po Valley.".
7IMDB entry: tt0040737 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
8Released under 11 different titles around the world.