Rome, Open City (1945)

During the Nazi occupation of Rome in 1944, the Resistance leader, Giorgio Manfredi, is chased by the Nazis as he seeks refuge and a way to escape.

Director:

Roberto Rossellini

Writers:

Sergio Amidei (screenplay) (as A. Amidei), Federico Fellini (collaboration on screenplay) (as F. Fellini)

Stars:

Anna Magnani, Aldo Fabrizi, Marcello Pagliero

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 7 wins.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Aldo Fabrizi	...	Don Pietro Pellegrini
Anna Magnani	...	Pina
Marcello Pagliero	...	Giorgio Manfredi aka Luigi Ferraris
Vito Annichiarico	...	Piccolo Marcello
Nando Bruno	...	Agostino the Sexton
Harry Feist	...	Major Bergmann
Giovanna Galletti	...	Ingrid
Francesco Grandjacquet	...	Francesco
Eduardo Passarelli	...	Neighborhood Police Sergeant (as Passarelli)
Maria Michi	...	Marina Mari
Carla Rovere	...	Lauretta
Carlo Sindici	...	Police Commissioner
Joop van Hulzen	...	Captain Hartmann (as Van Hulzen)
Ákos Tolnay	...	Austrian Deserter (as A. Tolnay)

Storyline

The location: Nazi occupied Rome. As Rome is classified an open city, most Romans can wander the streets without fear of the city being bombed or them being killed in the process. But life for Romans is still difficult with the Nazi occupation as there is a curfew, basic foods are rationed, and the Nazis are still searching for those working for the resistance and will go to any length to quash those in the resistance and anyone providing them with assistance. War worn widowed mother Pina is about to get married to her next door neighbor Francesco. Despite their situation - Pina being pregnant, and Francesco being an atheist - Pina and Francesco will be wed by Catholic priest Don Pietro Pelligrini. The day before the wedding, Francesco's friend, Giorgio Manfredi, who Pina has never met, comes looking for Francesco as he, working for the resistance, needs a place to hide out. For his latest mission, Giorgio also requests the assistance of Don Pietro, who is more than willing as he sees...

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Plot Keywords:

world war two in italy | nazi | priest | nazi occupation | curfew | 

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Taglines:

Rossellini's Great Film of Our Time

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Genres:

Drama | Thriller | War

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

Italy

Language:

Italian German Latin

Release Date:

8 October 1945 (Italy)

Also Known As:

Rome, Open City

Filming Locations:

Via Casilina, Rome, Lazio, Italy

Company Credits

Production Co:

Excelsa Film

Technical Specs

Runtime:

103 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Roberto Rossellini and Sergio Amidei took their inspiration from two real-life people, Pina from Teresa Gullace, a Roman woman killed on a street on 3 March 1944, and Manfredi from Cesare Negarville, a partisan that Amidei had hidden at his home during the War.

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Quotes

Major Bergman: I've a man who must talk before dawn and a priest who is praying for him. He'll talk
Hartman: And if not?
Major Bergman: Ridiculous.
Hartman: And if not?
Major Bergman: Then it would mean an Italian is worth as much as a German. It would mean there is no difference in the blood of a slave race and a master race. And no reason for this war.

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Connections

Referenced in The Children of Rome Open City (2005)

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Soundtracks

Mallinata Fiorentina
Composed by Giovanni D'Anzi
Lyrics by Galdieri
(1941)

User Reviews

Nice Piece of Work for its Time

Like so many movies made during or shortly after WWII, this one reveals more about the circumstances of its creation than anything novel in the story line. Stock good guys and bad guys fill the screen, and the sombre tone of it all trumps any truly objective attempt to critique it according to some dispassionate set of standards. The fact that it was made at all and continues to be shown to appreciative audiences via cable television speaks for itself.

The strength of the production lies indeed in powerful individual scenes and some inspired acting. It captures attention from the beginning and holds the viewer rapt until the final minutes, even though the cinematic values are at best crude, requiring a forgiving eye. One identifies easily with its emotional force.

That said, its shortcomings are rather obvious. The Nazis are mainly not native speakers of German, with accents ranging from Dutch to Italian, and the one German officer who speaks ill of the "master race" is in his cups rather than a sober judge of the evil around him. The viewer would do well to remember that fascism in Italy was a homegrown phenomenon well before the Germans took over the show in 1944. Note how the Red Menace is thrown in the face of patriotic Italians as a ploy to gain their acquiescence to Nazi control. Elements of moral decadence among the evildoers likewise diminishes rather than enhances the proposition that they are rational perpetrators of that evil, bent on excusing their acts by twisting the truth to suit their own agenda.

Yet this was a contemporaneous Italian reflection on fresh history, and that cannot be faulted by 21st Century revisionists. It also restored a vital industry to Italy, and presaged many great films that followed it.