Amore (1948)

 Roberto Rossellini's "Amore"

I will admit that the 1948 Robert Rossellini film "Amore" is a great experiment in cinema. It is a film that is split between two episodes, both centering on actress Anna Magnani. The first episodes takes place entirely in her character's apartment with no other characters present. She speaks to an unnamed man on the phone as their seemingly volatile relationship begins to come to a close. The second act is Magnani playing a village peasant, believing the man who intoxicated and raped her to be St. Joseph and the child inside her to be a gift from God. 

All in all, the very existence of the film itself is a welcome experiment in cinema. It's dual narrative combined with an isolated performance creates an interesting watch. However, I feel as though, despite the creativity, it doesn't quite provide any sort of meaningful insight or emotion. Above all, the greatest aspect of this film is the groundbreaking performances by Magnani. She is utterly captivating as these desperate, perhaps even insane women. The first act, called "The Human Voice," which was based on a stage play by Jean Cocteau, was actually performed by Magnani on stage in 1942. 

Many at the time of the film's release shared in my opinion that the film didn't quite land. The film premiered at the 1948 Venice Film Festival, but received no honors. Reactions to the film were mostly negative, with French critic Andre Bazin, who was usually very supportive of Rossellini's work, even called the first episode "cinematic laziness." 

On top of this, many censorship issues occurred with the film, especially the second episode. When the film had its premiere in New York, the second episode was removed altogether with the first being implemented in a string of other short films, alongside Jean Renoir's "A Day in the Country" and Marcel Pagnol's "Jofroi." The American National Legion of Decency even condemned the film and Catholic authorities called it blasphemous. Because of this, New York city authorities revoked the license for the film's screening, which was eventually appealed by the U.S. Supreme Court who declared the film a form of artistic expression which was guaranteed by the First Amendment. 

Overall, I applaud Rossellin's attempt at this narrative venture. I even applaud Anna Magnani in perhaps her most outstanding performance of her career. However, I will not venture back to the film any time soon.