AllMovie

The Rose Tattoo was never top-drawer Tennessee Williams, and the screenplay has not aged gracefully. But the truth is that Tattoo has always really been little more than a showcase for its leading lady, and the performance that this film showcases has not dimmed an iota over the decades. Anna Magnani's performance is nothing short of ferocious, the kind of powerful, stunning acting that in lesser hands would be called "over the top." Magnani pulls out all of the stops, bursting forth with emotions so large that the screen shouldn't be able to contain them; yet part of her magic is that it does contain them, that the audience becomes engulfed in rather than overwhelmed by her outbursts. Crying out in pain or blazing with anger and hurt or letting out heartfelt laughter, Magnani is a human volcano, a force of nature that must be experienced. She is helped by Williams' ability to create three-dimensional female leads, which helps to overcome the stiffness and predictability of much of the plotting. As the male lead, Burt Lancaster has to contend not only with Magnani but with a role that is much less fully developed than that of Magnani's; unfortunately, he adapts by overplaying, and his performance damages the film, as does Daniel Mann's none too subtle direction. Still, the film's flaws are worth putting up with for Magnani.