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I love this movie so much

You won't be disappointed!

Good concept, poorly executed.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

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.In the film, the character Silvana represents enchantment with behavior modeled in American films, such as chewing gum and boogie-woogie dancing. Her downfall shows director Giuseppe De Santis's condemnation of these products of American capitalism. In addition, Silvana was considered by many audiences to be overly-sexualized. This sexualization and the melodramatic presence of death and suicide in the film cause it to diverge from typical Italian neorealism.I do find the symbolism interesting, especially because (as noted) the neorealist films of the era (which have been getting a major re-evaluation as of late) really are pretty straight-forward, very Italian, and often dealing with post-war themes. There is some of that post-war feeling here, but we see less of the "city as a character" and more individuals.On a personal note, I like that this film is an early entry in the DeLaurentiis dynasty. Dino DeLaurentiis produced, and his wife is the star. This is 1949 (just after World War II), and the family is still an important part of Italian and American culture today (2016).

This film is set in the rice fields of Northern Italy where Doris Dowling (Francesca) has joined a band of illegal female workers. However, she is also carrying some stolen jewellery and she is biding her time until her partner-in-crime Vittorio Gassman (Walter) turns up, if he turns up at all. For Gassman is currently on the run from the police. Also working in the rice fields is Silvana Mangano who knows what Dowling is carrying….The story is interesting in that it is set somewhere different and shot on location. It also has a beginning that grips you. Unfortunately, the acting isn't particularly good and Dowling and Mangano portray a very unconvincing relationship with each other. Much praise is given to Silvana Mangano - I assume for being good looking in the eyes of some – and whilst she may like giving it jazz hands and exhibiting her dance routine, she needed to be given some acting lessons. Worst offender is the woman who breaks down screaming in the middle of the fields. What was that about? It's just hysterical nonsense. This scene comes after a rather amusing whipping scene.The film could have taken some interesting directions at the end, and that is what we watch for. I'm afraid we get let down by a predictably melodramatic ending full of clichés. I found it all rather disappointing after a good start to the film where we are drawn into a chase and given some tense scenes. The film is part of the Italian Neorealism genre but I didn't see any Italian ice-cream so it's not that realistic. And no-one said "Mamma mia!" or, thankfully, "Pronto!"

Although its mold of 1949 appears somewhat melodramatic today, the black and white 'Riso Amaro' (= Italian for 'Bitter Rice') surely ranks among the classics in film history.This very Italian product by Guiseppe de Santis shows a pretty ordinary crime story, excellently interwoven with an impressive decor of harsh season labor in the rice-fields of Northern Italy. The thousands of women, up to their ankles in the water, breaking their backs in the burning sun to earn a few bucks, make a truly great setting.'Riso Amaro' has been labeled as 'neo-realism'. Another issue worth mentioning is its female lead Silvana Mangano, ex miss Rome. To the standards of 1949 miss Mangano's performance in this film was shocking. This earned 'Riso Amaro' a lot of publicity, in particular in strongly Roman Catholic Italy.

In the 1940s -early 1950s Italian Cinema was at it peak. neo-realism was the stlye The Great Italian Directors came of age: De Sica/Fellini/DeSantis & others the italian movie actresses came in to being :Magnani/Lollabridgida/Loren /Martinelli and most especially here SYLVANA MANGANO.. sultry/earthy/sexy/beautiful/tempestuous etc.. she & her directors created images which one cannot forget!!The scene in Bitter Rice where she dances solo has to rate with anything Rita Hayorth or Marilyn Monroe did in Hollywood!!wow exciting, sensuous & memorable; as a film ,Bitter Rice ,is a fine example of Italian films of that era.. an exciting depiction of working class Italy & the problems that they endured@ 1940s....So well done with a fine cast Raf Vallone/Vittorio Gassman & American film actress Doris Dowling in a memorable role as Francesca.. the scenes in the rice field with the working women are most effective for me..The plot gets a bit melodramatic with multiple shootings etc at end, & Manganos great suicide scene.. However her finest moment is in the rice field , in the rain, when she is raped(seduced) by the leacherous Walter (Gassmann) her reaction to that moment is incredible!! Great to see again & again !!