"Roma, citta aperta" is a film that cries for a Martin Scorsese to come to its aid in restoring it. There are sequences that are barely visible, as proved by the recent showing on the Sundance channel. Roberto Rossellini deserves better. We are even surprised that his own daughter, Isabella, so well connected with the world of cinema, has not done more to champion the restoration of this masterpiece.
Most comments in IMDb dismiss the film without taking in consideration the impact it had when it made its debut. If not for anything, the people that worked in the period of the post war, took advantage in showing a reality to the viewers and revolutionized the Italian cinema forever. The neo-realists were notorious for engaging non-actors to portray the characters they created. It's easy to be critical of those movies that came out during those years and make comparisons based on today's tastes.
Roberto Rossellini was a genius who saw the movie industry destroyed during the terrible WWII days. Out of the necessity, the neo-realism style came into being. Directors from that period saw the opportunity to do things differently by bringing the actual filming into the streets of Italy. It was a way for making movies that didn't conform to the established rules up to that point.
"Roma, citta aperta" was Rossellini's way for analyzing what went wrong in his country. One the one hand he presents us the forces of evil, in this case the Germans, that wanted to the oppressed masses, the Italians, in a story that puts them at odds and that would favor the enemy because they had the power and their country's leader was collaborating with the invading forces.
There is a sublime appearance by Anna Magnani, perhaps the best Italian actress of all times, that is worth the price of admission. Even though she only appears for a short period, her presence looms large in the film and in our heart. We watch, horrified, as Pina runs after the truck where Francesco is being hauled to prison for a fate that seemed clear to Pina. That sequence will remain one of Rossellini's best achievements.
Rossellini also shows how demoralized the Germans were. There are also hints of homosexuality, as well as lesbianism, in the movie. This fact, also plays in our consciousness as to how we perceive them. The betrayal of Pina's sister shows how some people collaborated with the enemy in order to get the material things they couldn't get otherwise.
In addition to Anna Magnani, there are great appearances by Aldo Fabrizi, Marcello Pagliero, Nando Bruno, Giovanna Galletti, and Henry Feist. The music score is by Renzo Rossellini which plays well with the story. Ubaldo Arata's cinematography stands to be enjoyed more if the film would be restored to its original glory.
This was Roberto Rossellini's masterpiece.
Most comments in IMDb dismiss the film without taking in consideration the impact it had when it made its debut. If not for anything, the people that worked in the period of the post war, took advantage in showing a reality to the viewers and revolutionized the Italian cinema forever. The neo-realists were notorious for engaging non-actors to portray the characters they created. It's easy to be critical of those movies that came out during those years and make comparisons based on today's tastes.
Roberto Rossellini was a genius who saw the movie industry destroyed during the terrible WWII days. Out of the necessity, the neo-realism style came into being. Directors from that period saw the opportunity to do things differently by bringing the actual filming into the streets of Italy. It was a way for making movies that didn't conform to the established rules up to that point.
"Roma, citta aperta" was Rossellini's way for analyzing what went wrong in his country. One the one hand he presents us the forces of evil, in this case the Germans, that wanted to the oppressed masses, the Italians, in a story that puts them at odds and that would favor the enemy because they had the power and their country's leader was collaborating with the invading forces.
There is a sublime appearance by Anna Magnani, perhaps the best Italian actress of all times, that is worth the price of admission. Even though she only appears for a short period, her presence looms large in the film and in our heart. We watch, horrified, as Pina runs after the truck where Francesco is being hauled to prison for a fate that seemed clear to Pina. That sequence will remain one of Rossellini's best achievements.
Rossellini also shows how demoralized the Germans were. There are also hints of homosexuality, as well as lesbianism, in the movie. This fact, also plays in our consciousness as to how we perceive them. The betrayal of Pina's sister shows how some people collaborated with the enemy in order to get the material things they couldn't get otherwise.
In addition to Anna Magnani, there are great appearances by Aldo Fabrizi, Marcello Pagliero, Nando Bruno, Giovanna Galletti, and Henry Feist. The music score is by Renzo Rossellini which plays well with the story. Ubaldo Arata's cinematography stands to be enjoyed more if the film would be restored to its original glory.
This was Roberto Rossellini's masterpiece.