Roma città aperta

Photographed on scraps of film abandoned by German forces as they retreated from Rome toward the end of World War II, Roberto Rossellini's OPEN CITY was immediately hailed as a masterpiece of realism when it hit screens around the world in the late 1940s. Seen within the context of its time and with reference to the circumstances under which it was made, OPEN CITY is a staggering accomplishment; even so, by modern standards, it feels visually static and slightly contrived.

The great strength of the film is in the direct way Rossellini tells his story of Italian resistance fighters trying to dodge capture by the Nazis in occupied Rome--and in the performances of Anna Magnani and Aldo Fabrizi as two Italians who become increasingly caught up in resistance activities. But time has not been entirely kind to the film: the story seems somewhat superficial, portions of it lack expected intensity, and some performances seem more than a little artificial, with a lesbian subplot, the famous torture scenes, and Maria Mitchi's performance cases in point.

Ironically, these drawbacks actually result from comparisons with later, still more realistic films that followed its example--and it is a great tribute to the strength of the film that it survives the revolution it started as well as it does. (One does well to recall that at the time OPEN CITY was made such slick Hollywood films as MRS. MINIVER were considered the height of realism.) Still, because of these issues I would hesitate to recommend OPEN CITY as an introduction to Italian neo-realism for one not already well-versed in it. But those with an established appreciation of Italian cinema will find it very rewarding.

Gary F. Taylor, aka GFT, Amazon Reviewer

In Nazi occupied Rome, German SS is hunting for engineer Giorgio Manfredi who is a leader of the communist resistance. He escapes looking for fellow fighter Francesco and finds his pregnant fiancée Pina. Catholic priest Don Pietro Pellegrini helps but he's under surveillance.

It's a minor miracle that Roberto Rossellini achieved so much so soon after the end of the war. On the other hand, when Pina points to a bomb damaged building, a bomb probably did damage that building. It is considered a great example of neorealism although he had fewer unreal sets that he could use anyway. The one scene where Pina is chasing after Francesco being arrested is one of the great scenes of cinema. It is dynamic and visceral. One can really feel the action more than most war action scenes of its time.

Rome after the Second World War was a damaged, destroyed city. The huge film industry that had once been known all over Europe was, quite literally, in ruins.

Hence, when Roberto Rossellini took up his camera in 1945 to start shooting 'Open City', he was forced to make due with quite a few limitations: using scavenged film stock, whatever kind he could get his hands on; shooting outside and on location; and employing a much more dynamic, though much less controlled, form of cinematography than Italian cinema had previously seen. The result was an unpolished, rough gem of a film that, in addition to its many contributions to the evolution of cinema, left the pre-war Italian super-spectacle in the dust.

In terms of story, 'Open City' is pure melodrama; and a pretty, darn affecting one at that. Thematically, it's socialist, a reaction against the fascism, personified by Mussolini, that had just been defeated in Italy. But, it is in its style that the film truly stands out.

With 'Open City', Rossellini succeeded in taking adverse conditions and using them to craft a solid, emotional tale of the Italian resistance. In the process, he solidified the aesthetic of an entire film movement: Italian Neorealism.

The film is recommended to anyone who enjoys a good story, is interesting as an artifact of its historical period, and is absolutely indispensable to anyone with at least a passing interest in the history of cinema.

Roberto Rossellini's Open City contains characters so real and emotions so powerful that it is not unusual for audiences to wonder whether the drama being played out on the screen is in truth a bona fide documentation of events surrounding the Italian Resistance during WWII. A study of the production history reveals that the film is closer to a combination of pure documentation (most accounts will go into detail about the location shooting and the presence of real soldiers) and dramatic reconstruction of actual events (like the execution of priest Don Morosini by the Nazis) with some lyrical filmmaking thrown in for good measure (I still get chills down my spine when I hear the children whistling in defiance of their oppressors). Anna Magnani, one of the greatest performers in the history of Italian cinema, is absolutely amazing in this film.

It is hard to overestimate the influence of "Rome, open city" on the history of film.

There is much debate if "Rome open city" is the first neo realist movie. Some are of the opinion that already "Ossessione" (1943, Luchino Visconti) complied with the characteristics of this movement, although one can also classify this movie (based on a novel by James M. Cain) as film noir. There is however little discussion about the fact that "Rome, open city" was the breakthrough of neo realism.

Prepared during war time, shot while the Second World War was still raging in parts of Italy this film bears all characteristics that would become the trade marks of neo realism: shot on location, mostly non professional actors and a real life story adjacant to a documentary. Unlike the Danish "dogma" movement decades later these choices were not entirely made out of free will, but largely inspired by the lack of infrastructure after the Second World War. "Rome, open city" is for example shot with film stock that is definitely second rate. This is of course not a trademark of neo realism, there simply was no film stock of better quality available.

Most of the actors were non professional, but there were a few exceptions. Anna Magnani was one of the exceptions and after "Rome, open city" she went on to become a big star that worked with great Italian directors like Fellini, Visconti and Pasolini. In "Rome, open city" she dies halfway, but her dying scene is realy heartbreaking. A few years later she would shine as a mother who would do anything to make her daughter a moviestar in "Bellissima" (1951, Luchino Visconti).

Anna Magnani is by far the most well known actress from "Rome, open city", but I would like to also call attention to some of the other actors.

Maria Michi is a beautiful girl working in a cabaret who is addicted to drugs (and luxuries) and so becomes dependend on the Nazi's. After "Rome, open city" Michi would also play in Rossellini's "Paisa" (1946) but after that her career came to a halt.

Even less impressive is the career of Harry Feist, who plays the evil German. In fact "Rome, open city" would remain his only film of importance. Remarkable to me was his physical likeness with Donald Sutherland in "Novecento" (1976, Bernardo Bertolucci), who also plays a Second World War villian in that movie.

After "Rome, open city", which is situated in occupied Italy, Rossellini made two other war movies. "Paisa" (1946) is about the liberation of Italy by the Americans, "Germania anno zero" (1948) is about Germany after the war.

"Rome, open city" is famous as the breakthrough of both neo realism and Anna Magnani, and rightly so. It is however not the best neo realist movie (nor the best movie of Anna Magnani, of whom I like the aformentioned "Bellissima" more). The film has some flaws, and these are not all attributable to the difficult circumstances under which it was produced. The monologue of the disillusioned German Captain Hartmann, openly criticizing the "Third Reich" with other German officers present, does not seem very realistic to me.

As a director Roberto Rossellini thus had his limitations. My favourite neo realist director was and remains Vittorio de Sica, with masterpieces such as "Bycicle thieves" (1948) and "Umberto D" (1952).