Bitter Rice

Bitter Rice streams in the US on Criterion Channel, as of October 6, 2026.

An earthy drama of human passions among women rice workers in the Po Valley.

Francesca and Walter are two-bit criminals in Northern Italy, and, in an effort to avoid the police, Francesca joins a group of women rice workers. She meets the voluptuous peasant rice worker, Silvana, and the soon-to-be-discharged soldier, Marco. Walter follows her to the rice fields, and the four characters become involved in a complex plot involving robbery, love, and murder.