Through the decades we have had our heartstrings tugged by many actresses playing nuns but I never thought to see Anna Magnani donning the Habit. Very few in fact have seen her dressed like this as the film was destined to sink without trace. It is a tender, heartfelt piece depicting the emotional conflict between a nun's vows and her motherly instincts towards a child whose father is dead and whose mother is neglectful. As with most Italian films there is a veritable phalanx of writers involved notably Zavattini and director Camerini with a simply glorious score by Lavagnino. Although the film itself went unrecognised La Magnani picked up yet another Nastro d'Argento for her splendid performance. I would suggest your keeping a box of Kleenex handy for the final scenes unless of course you possess a heart of stone.
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brogmiller24 May 2020
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ItalianGerry18 December 2001Released in the U.S. in 1958 as THE AWAKENING, SUOR LETIZIA ("Sister Letizia"---"Letizia" means "joy") did not get wide release and died an early death. A pity, for this is one of the great Anna Magnani's most moving roles. She plays a nun who runs a school for the children of poor families in the Naples area and becomes torn between her motherly instincts and her religious vows and duties. During the course of her duties she develops a special attachment to a little boy, Salvatore, played by Piero Boccia with complete naturalness. Her feelings become stronger and deeper; the other kids feel she is neglecting them in favor of Salvatore; the other nuns take notice as well, and eventually she herself feels she must allow herself to be separated from the boy and restored to his mother. The moment of separation is a poignant and moving one that tears her asunder, and Magnani gives it the full intensity of her feelings and acting force. It is unforgettable. The intimate motherly caresses and hugs she lavishes on the boy in one scene offended some Italians at the time of its Italian release and that scene was cut for Italian audiences. There are some similarities in story line between this movie and THE BELLS OF ST. MARY'S with Ingrid Bergman. Magnani won a Venice Film Festival prize for her acting here. Mario Camerini, whose work as a director had gone all the way back to the silent era, did a splendid job with the entire cast and the locales in and around the Bay of Naples.