Rome, Open City

Rome, Open City (Roma, Citta Aperta) (1945)

Runtime: 103 minutes

Directed by: Roberto Rossellini

Starring: Anna Magnani, Aldo Fabrizi, Marcello Pagliero, Vito Annichiarico, Nando Bruno

From: Excelsa Film

Three notes to begin this review:

* Starting tomorrow, my posting on Letterboxd will be more erratic, and when I do it may be a lack of feature film reviews. One of my two sisters is visiting for the week with her family; it was sort of a last-minute deal.

* Someone who isn’t even a Letterboxd mutual commented on my Journey to Italy review posted late in ’23 that I should at least give this a shot. I wasn’t a fan of Italy, to the point of brushing off giving the director a second chance. As the plot of Rome was from all appearances more to my tastes anyhow…

* The plot needs a real-life explanation. During World War II, Italy was of course aligned with Nazi Germany and Japan… until Mussolini was ousted in July, 1943 and a treaty with the Allies was signed. Germany then invaded, staying for less than a year but later resulting in a civil war when then in 1946 resulted in the Kingdom of Italy being abolished and the formation of the Italian Republic.

That backstory was necessary as the setting of Open City was Italy when it was occupied by Nazi Germany; in addition, they are in league w/ Italian Fascists. Various characters are followed, although the focus is on Don Pietro Pellegrini-a priest based on real-life priest Don Pietro Morosini-and Pina, the gal of a key Resistance fighter. The conflict is those two, their interactions w/ Resistance leader Luigi Ferraris, and the Gestapo’s attempt to locate Ferraris.

The film was shot under perilous conditions in Rome, filled w/ many non-actors. This resulted in a naturalistic feel as both adults and children react differently to the occupation. Even kids are used to plant bombs, for example. A key detail is that people attempt to lead normal lives under the occupation that seems never-ending; this includes an upcoming wedding. It’s a quality story, co-written by Fellini. As said too often over the years, the movie still feels relevant today.

The movie’s also haunting, especially the conclusion. Open City is anchored by the great performances from two of the professional actors, Aldo Fabrizi and Anna Magnani. This was a worthwhile recommendation and should be of interest to those interested in 40’s World Cinema. Who knows if I’ll view any more Roberto Rossellini; there’s plenty of directors that still need viewing and others that should have more of their filmography viewed. However, this was better than Journey to Italy, for certain.