Rome, Open City

Shot in the days following the liberation of Rome from the clutches of Nazi occupation, Roberto Rossellini’s Open City is a landmark of Italian cinema, as well as a seminal development in the evolution of the neo-realist form. An account of the underground resistance movement, it focuses on the uneasy alliance between the Catholic Church and the Communist Party who must bond together, despite the ideological chasm separating them, in order to survive against the oppressions of the Nazis, their common enemy. Despite the presence of Anna Magnani (in her first major role, playing the ill-fated fiancee of a freedom fighter) and Aldo Fabrizi (as a passionate priest), many of the film’s actors were non-professionals, conveying a sense of documentary-like authenticity. Additionally, the rough, gritty look of the feature, shot on location with odds and ends of mismatched film stock, further establishes its unvarnished, realistic texture and remarkable immediacy., The first major example of Italian neorealism, this film tells the story of a group of people living through the Nazi occupation of Rome. The characters include a communist, a priest who aids the anti-Nazi cause, and a Nazi officer who takes an Italian lover., During World War II, as the city of Rome, under a fascist regime, is occupied by the Nazis, a small band of resistance fighters including an engineer and a priest risk their lives to stand up to the Germans, even when the consequences include torture or certain death., Documentary-style drama. The first major example of Italian neorealism, this film tells the story of a group of people living through the Nazi occupation of Rome. The characters include a communist, a priest who aids the anti-Nazi cause, and a Nazi officer who takes an Italian lover