Rome, Open City (1945)

 Roberto Rossellini's "Rome, Open City"

Written during the Nazi occupation of Italy and filmed after the liberation of Rome, Robert Rossellini's "Rome Open City" stands as one of the most staggering achievements in Italian cinema. At the time of its filming, only Rome had been liberated, while the rest of Italy remained under siege. Its openness and blunt manner, combined with its stark realism, helped pave the way for Italian neorealist cinema and produced one of the most important cinematic documents of World War II.

While watching the film, I was struck by the starkness of its subject matter, themes, and visual style. It portrays the fictional story of a group of Italian citizens attempting to hide and move Francesco, a resistance fighter. Despite the tragic consequences of their journey, the characters lay themselves bare before the viewer, revealing their true selves. In the face of traumatic and harrowing circumstances, they demonstrate who they are and what they stand for. Confronted with the oppressive and often horrifying brutality of the Nazi regime, they make conscious choices about the kind of people they wish to be and how their lives will be defined. As a result, we witness these characters fully exposed - their true nature laid open. Whether built on integrity or rooted in cowardice, there is no hiding. The entire world bears witness as these citizens of Rome define what their lives - and more importantly, their deaths - mean. 

To visually reinforce this thematic element, Roberto Rossellini embraces the film movement sweeping Italy at the time: neorealism. Just as nothing about the characters are being hidden - their nature, values, and identities laid bare - the cinematography mirrors this raw openness with uncompromising visual realism. If Luchino Visconti's 1943 wartime film "Ossessione" laid the groundwork for Italian neorealism, "Rome, Open City" solidified it as a celebrated cinematic movement. Nothing is concealed from the viewer; everything is out in the open. The stark visual messiness lays bear the horror and suffering endured by the people of Italy. That said, "Rome, Open City" may be the most stylized entries in the neorealist canon. The realist core remains firmly intact, but Rossellini demonstrates his keen ability to manipulate light and shadow through this visual openness. Hints of expressionism still linger in the crevasses of the frame - but make no mistake, the commitment to visual authenticity is never compromised.

"Rome, Open City" had a profound impact on post-war cinema and global culture. It was screened at the very first Cannes Film Festival in 1946, where it won the top prize, the Palme d'Or. The film was a global success. According to Rossellini, his aim was to create a document - albeit a fictional one - that would expose to the world the truth of life under Nazi occupation and fascist oppression. The results are stark. The emotion runs deep, resonating powerfully with the viewer because the horrors depicted are so deeply woven into to the very texture of the film. You can almost feel the lived experience behind these scenes. It's a harrowing film full, filled with sorrow and pain - but also with hope and integrity. It's an experience I won't soon forget.