The burning question obsessing film fans in 1951 is asked directly by the police detective in this awkward, heavy-handed message picture. In a plot, strained in service to its themes, a wealthy woman who's lost her son assuages her grief in service to the poor portrayed by a movie star who has descended from the sound stages of Hollywood to the streets, slums and factories of Rome. Some scenes seem contrived to display Ingrid Bergman's talent, while others shamelessly exploit her personal problems. This film should be part of a double feature with "The Purple Rose of Cairo," a conservative reply to neorealism.
Review of Europe '51
