People are voting emotionally.

hyped garbage

This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.

Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

Filmed under extreme circumstances in the aftermath of the German withdrawal, ROME: OPEN CITY tells a straightforward tale of Resistance fighters battling against the Nazi occupiers. Three of them are eventually caught, including the priest Don Pietro Pellegrini (Aldo Fabrizi) and hanged, tortured or forced to commit suicide. Meanwhile Pina (Anna Magnani) is shot down in cold blood after she tries to rescue her prospective husband Manfredi (Marcello Pagliero).This bald plot-summary cannot do justice to a film that is quite simply brilliant. Although classed as a neo-realist piece, director Roberto Rossellini does not favor the extensive use of pans or long- shots to establish the situations; there are comparatively few shots of a war-destroyed Rome, except at the film's end. Instead Rossellini uses a more domestic palette, with plenty of shots of dilapidated apartment-blocks in dire need of restoration, or seedy rooms where the Resistance fighters hatch their plans. The streets are desolate, peopled only by a few horses and carts - apart from the occasion when a Nazi force comes to root out their enemies, accompanied by their superior officers in expensive-looking cars. Contrast the desolation of the Roman streets with the opulence of the Nazi quarters, where the sadistic interrogator Major Bergmann (Harry Feist) takes his mind off torturing his enemies by sipping brandies and listening to soft piano music while placing a paternal arm round his girlfriend. Even though their days of occupation might be numbered, there is no reason why they should not continue to enjoy the high life.The film contains some memorable sequences, photographed by Ubaldo Arata. As the Nazi troops search for their enemies in an apartment block, the camera tilts upwards to show the apparently endless flights of stairs. The action cuts to the priest and the little boy Francesco (Francesco Grandjacquet) looking down the flights of stairs to ascertain where the troops are. The effect is dizzying, making us aware of the impending sense of danger. Later on Pina's death-scene is also memorably filmed, as she runs towards a tracking camera in a futile attempt to rescue her fiancé. A shot rings out, and she crumples to the ground; the camera immediately switches to a medium close-up of Manfredi's horrified face (as he is taken away by the Nazis) followed by another tracking shot of Francesco running out from the crowd towards his dead mother, screaming wildly.The torture-scenes still remain difficult to watch. We do not actually see anything bloody; instead Rossellini achieves his dramatic effect through Manfredi's screams on the soundtrack intercut with the Priest's horrified countenance as he witnesses what is happening. The Nazis know no bounds when it comes to extracting information out of their victims. It is a tribute to Manfredi's stoicism that he refuses to talk under any form of duress.The final sequence is also memorable as the Priest is executed by firing-squad in a lonely field outside the city. Rossellini uses a group-shot of local children burying their heads in their hands as they hear the fatal shot to achieve his dramatic effect. To the accompaniment of dramatic music (by Renzo Rossellini) he cuts to a long shot of the ruined city as the action draws to a close. The only way to endure occupation is through resistance and stoicism, even under the most extreme pressure.If we wanted to be reminded of what life was truly like under the Third Reich, ROME: OPEN CITY is a seminal text.

The beginning for me felt quite slow and uneventful, as is characteristic of Italian neorealism. Italian neorealism likes to establish the normality of everyday activities which expresses the lives of locals, and being a pretty fast-paced person I did not like this much. Also, the dialogue delivery was a little awkward at first, but perhaps this could be a cultural difference in speech and conversation.The acting was quite good. Magnani plays her part well, and her chemistry with Annichiarico is prominent, though not the same can be said between her and Francesco. She gives a moving performance in her last scene as well, with her desperation and emotions traversing the screen. Fabrizi as well gets into the shoes of his character well and plays the part of the priest convincingly. Francesco and Pagliero as part of the resistance to the Nazi occupiers don't really seem to be doing anything but talk. Understandably, they have to be cautious but I don't believe I actually saw them 'resisting' anything except via words. Well, there was an exchange with other rebels but it just seemed like they were pretty inactive. Additionally, some characters are well developed, while others are ambiguous or stereotypical. Pina seems to be the protagonist and her character is pretty well established but she doesn't carry the narrative (not in the second half anyway). Don Pietro is another well established character who has no surprises. Francesco and Manfredi are depicted as the heroes but not in the conventional sense (as they don't do heroic stunts), and the other female characters in the film are shallow and presented as stereotypes. The story doesn't flow in one continuous movement, and more or less feels like it plods along. There is a clear linear narrative, but it was just a little slow in the first half. Plus, there are a few discrepancies and ambiguity to what happens to some characters. I'm not sure if I missed some scenes (admittedly I fell asleep for a few minutes), but Francesco's character just disappears. Apart from that, there are some very saddening scenes which make this film quite depressing. Read more movie reviews at: championangels.wordpress.com

The location: Nazi occupied Rome. As Rome is classified an open city, most Romans can wander the streets without fear of the city being bombed or them being killed in the process. But life for Romans is still difficult with the Nazi occupation as there is a curfew, basic foods are rationed, and the Nazis are still searching for those working for the resistance and will go to any length to quash those in the resistance and anyone providing them with assistance.What a strange film, made in 1945 when World War II was anything but a memory. In fact, it was so recent that allegedly real German POWs were used as actors, and the man credited as the editor was actually in prison at the time. That is wild.Sadly, the version I watched was of a fairly low quality. I suspect most (if not all) releases are. Is this fixable? Can they do a 4K scan of the negative (or whatever process is popular these days)? If so, this is a film that truly deserves it.

This takes place during WW2 when the Nazis controlled Italy. A resistance fighter named Giorgio (Marcello Pagliero) is tracked down by the Nazis. He goes to a friend named Francesco (Franceso Grandjacquel) to get out of Italy. With the help of priest Don Pietro Pellegrini (Aldo Fabrizi) he tries to help.I can't tell anymore without ruining the movie. I'm not a fan of neo-Realsim in movies (I HATED "The Bicycle Thief") but I have to admit I loved this movie. It was quick-moving and mostly well-acted by an amateur cast. For the 1940s it was also pretty explicit--there's a German lesbian character, tortures, bombings and a woman (a main character) is shot down in cold blood (that was never done back then). It was shot in documentary style which makes it seem more realistic. The only debits were the bad music and a German official who acts like he came out of a Hollywood movie about Germans. Still, this is a classic and well worth seeing. I give it an 8.