His third film Bitter Rice (1950), the story of a young woman working in the rice fields who must choose between two socially disparate suitors, made a star of Silvana Mangano and was a landmark of the new cinematic style.
O seu terceiro filme, Arroz amargo (1950), historia dunha moza que traballa nos campos de arroz e debe escoller entre dous homes socialmente diferentes, converteu a Silvana Mangano nunha estrela.