This crime story interwoven with social drama is a great example of the neo-realism wave in Italian cinema. Giuseppe De Santis sets the story of two runaway thieves in the context of the rice fields of northern Italy, where each year seasonal workers (all female) work under bad conditions. The mix of social commentary with the brooding (sexual) tension between the four main characters doesn’t work all the time, but this is a very good movie. Technical there are a lot of new ideas here; very nice compositional shots, crowd scenes and camera movements. Star of the movie is Silvana Mangano, whose voluptuous body is given every opportunity to shine by Giuseppe De Santis.
