(Dir. Roberto Rossellini 1945)
NR, mature themes and depictions of violence Rome Open City tells the story of everyday life in Rome during the Nazi occupation, which lasted approximately nine months. Specifically it centers on members of the underground resistance in Italy, such as a priest, a widow, the widow's fiancé, and a rag-tag group of children. Rossellini began his work on Rome Open City almost immediately after the Nazi occupation of Rome ended. The above picture is from one of the most famous scenes, and one of my favorite scenes, from the film. It is a beautiful scene, the weary group of children return home on a dusty path with the city and St. Peter's Basilica in the background. Considering the fact that Rossellini was filming in post-war Italy and was forced to use whatever scraps of film he could get, the film is surprisingly beautiful. Though a part of that is modern day editing. This movie is sad in a way that only an Italian Neorealist film can be. The events are definitely not happy, tragic even, but despite this the overall tone of the movie is hopeful and even comical at times. Rossellini paints a picture of what everyday life is like when everyday citizens are fighting a battle bigger than themselves. In the midst of inciting riots and secretly coordinating a group of anti-Nazi fighters, Francesco and Pina plan their wedding. Moments of intense suspense are balanced by the humor and domesticity of their life. Perhaps the best example of how Rossellini balances the two comes when the Nazis raid Francesco and Pina's apartment building. Moments of intense suspense, members of the Resistance escaping or being captured by the Nazis, are interspersed with the humorous antics of the Priest as he tries to hide a machine gun and bomb and quiet an old man before the Nazis reach them. The viewer can't help but chuckle as he settles for hiding the machine gun and bomb under the covers and resorts to hitting the old man with a frying pan to quiet him. Admittedly that last part sounds terrible, but it is quite funny in the film.
1 Comment
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Aubrey KirchhoffI'm just screaming into the void and somehow getting graded on it. Archives
April 2018
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