Film Studies Presentation: Giuliana Muscio on The Rose Tattoo

Film Studies Presentation: Giuliana Muscio on The Rose Tattoo

Professor Giuliana Muscio of Universita degli Studi di Padova will discuss her current work on the 1955 film The Rose Tattoo. Tennessee Williams wrote The Rose Tatoo for Anna Magnani, and by performing the main role on screen, she won an Academy Award in 1956. The casting and the acting style in the film (directed by Daniel Mann) pose interesting questions on trans-culturalism. While Magnani literally embodies the naturalist performance style of neorealism, the casting of the film includes a "traditional" Hollywood actor as Burt Lancaster (who was however the producer of the Oscar-winning Marty) and performers coming from both the Actors studio and the (Italian) immigrant stage. One of the most overrated films of its time and underrated texts of today, The Rose Tatoo reveals the contradictory American attitudes towards Italian immigrants (as those depicted in the film) and towards Italian culture, film and theatre traditions in a moment of transition, after WW2. Clips of the film will illustrate the argument. 

This event is sponsored by the Nathan and Jeanette Center for Historical Studies. For more information please visit http://www.history.umd.edu/HistoryCenter/.