The Rose Tattoo (1955)

User Rating:

7.2/10   

Director:

Daniel Mann

Writers:

Tennessee Williams (play)
Hal Kanter (adaptation)

Release Date:

1956 (Brazil)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Tagline:

Her blood boiled with desire...raged with jealous fury!

Plot:

An Italian-American neighborhood in Louisiana is disturbed when truck driver Rosario Delle Rose is killed by police while smuggling...

Plot Keywords:

Widow | Italian American | Louisiana | Daughter | Truck Driver

Awards:

Won 3 Oscars. Another 5 wins & 7 nominations

Cast

Anna Magnani	...	Serafina Delle Rose
Burt Lancaster	...	Alvaro Mangiacavallo
Marisa Pavan	...	Rosa Delle Rose
Ben Cooper	...	Seaman Jack Hunter
Virginia Grey	...	Estelle Hohengarten
Jo Van Fleet	...	Bessie
Sandro Giglio	...	Father De Leo
Mimi Aguglia	...	Assunta
Florence Sundstrom	...	Flora

Runtime:

117 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Italian

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

Norway:16 | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | West Germany:16 (w) | USA:Approved

Filming Locations:

Key West, Florida Keys, Florida, USA

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

In The Mardi Gras Club scenes, there are a few familiar faces amongst the extras. As Serafina storms by the men on bar stools, Tennessee Williams himself can be seen sitting at the bar in a striped shirt. The man beside him is producer Hal B. Wallis. The shorter man in the white shirt standing directly behind Estelle Hohengarten (actress Virginia Grey) helping to restrain her is Frank Merlo - William's long-time companion and lover.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Bullets Over Broadway (1994)

Soundtrack:

COME LE ROSE

worth watching for the outstanding acting of Magnani

I recommend this film solely to witness Magnani's performance, which was an utterly beautiful piece of acting, indeed. Although I did not feel pulled into the plot very much, I did sympathize with Magnani's character because she played her part with such heart. I must admit that I was disappointed by Lancaster's overacting, and the minor actors also were not at all impressive. Also, I do not feel inspired to read the play itself because I don't think that reading it could compare to watching Magnani's riveting performance through which Magnani's soul itself seems to bleed.

Although I cannot think of another film with such an engaging actress, the beginning tone and ambiance of this film reminded me of other Tennessee Williams works. The atmosphere is open, naked, and almost frightening; Williams's plays always introduce characters that are very human--weak, lonely, unsettled--and deeply passionate. He doesn't take care to hide the frightening and desperate side of people even though we may not want to see that. He makes no exception in this piece, and this sense of humanity is most effectively portrayed through Magnani.