Roberto Rossellini
Roberto Rossellini
RANKED:
8. Amore (1948)
Although it was considered a creative and commercial failure at the time of its release, Roberto Rossellini's "Amore" was still a creative swing for the director. The film is split into two episodes. The first centers on a woman alone in her apartment trying desperately to reconcile with a lover over the phone. The second centers on a village peasant who believes she was impregnated by Saint Joseph. The second episode received a lot of controversy, as many religious authorities felt it blasphemous. The first episode was belittled by critics who felt it was 'cinematic laziness.' Despite its let downs, the film remains a creative venture as well as featuring a powerhouse performance by Anna Magnani in perhaps the greatest of her career.
7. The Machine That Kills Bad People (1952)
By 1952, the concern over fascism and preventing evil and corruption was still fervently in the minds of Italians. Roberto Rossellini's "The Machine That Kills Bad People" ponders what would happen if a 'good' person had the capacity to exterminate all the 'evil' people from the world. What the film reveals is the hypocritical thinking of this notion and how dangerous it is to start pointing fingers at people who appear selfish and corrupt, as it becomes all too evident that you'll end up with those same fingers pointed right back at you. The film also demonstrates how Rossellini began to briefly steer away from his staunch adherence to realism and experimented a bit with fantasy and surrealism. Although it is not often thought about, "The Machine That Kills Bad People" is still a remarkable and notable piece of work from the Italian master.
6. The Flowers of St. Francis (1950)
The last writing collaboration between Roberto Rossellini and Federico Fellini before Fellini would go off to be a director of his own, 1950's "The Flowers of St. Francis" demonstrates the antidote to post-war nihilism. Adapted from 14th century novels that detail the life and teachings of the historical Italian friar St. Francis, the film recounts 9 chapters. Each chapter focuses not on biographical accounts, but instead on the moral responsibility to adhere to a selfless way of living. The friars in the film all suffer and face the wrath of human beings here on the Earth, but for the sake and love of God. Through this rendering by Rossellini, we see a life one could live in which love and selflessness resolves all suffering, despite the continued horror and pain of external circumstances. Although panned by critics at the time, "The Flowers of St. Francis" would become Rossellini's favorite of his own filmography and the favorite of many well-known filmmakers around the globe.
5. Stromboli (1950)
The film that started the professional collaboration between Italian film director Roberto Rossellini and Swedish global acting star Ingrid Bergman, 1950's "Stromboli," also happens to be the film that started an extramarital affair between the two. Although it would sprout a marriage and children, this scandal caused conservative groups in the US to ban the film, along with tainting Bergman's reputation as an actress in Hollywood. The film itself centers on a young Lithuanian woman who must marry an Italian ex-POW fisherman in order to escape internment in Italy. After taking her back to his home island of Stromboli, she faces disdain from the local community, which eventually creates a resentment from her new husband as well. The film is one of many films that Rossellini is able to execute a palpable tone. In this case being that of suffocation and inescapabilty, which never allows for any kind of release.
4. Europa '51 (1952)
After his ventures into realms of heightened realism with "The Flowers of St. Francis" and "The Machine That Kills Bad People," Roberto Rossellini returned to the haven of stark realism that he himself helped established in the decade prior. The film, 1952's "Europa '51" takes the story of Joan of Arc and modernizes it to fit the post-war industrial landscape. Ingrid Bergman plays Irene, the wife of a wealthy industrialist who decides to commit her life to charitable works after the death of her young son. The sudden shift from wealth and power to selfless devotion to helping the lower class all led to questions from her husband, police, doctors, and even a priest who all uniformly decided her status: insanity. The thematic point of the film is that in the new modern world, class consciousness is equivalent to insanity and must be punished. The total and complete opposition and aggression to charitable and selfless behavior is now so alien to the new, capitalist selfish world, it becomes impossible to bridge the gap. A terrifying notion by Rossellini on the state of the new global realities, isn't is?
3. Germany Year Zero (1948)
While "Germany Year Zero" may be the weakest link of Robert Rossellini's unofficial war trilogy, it is not without many merits. The film continues Rossellini's work in the Italian neo-realist movement, however Rossellini utilizes more studio filming. It tells the story of a young boy who must wander the ruins of post-war Berlin in search of food and money for his family. Along the way, life only gets worse and worse for the boy until it ends in tragedy. Rossellini's portrayal of post-war Germany is a very bleak and depressing outlook. Many Germans did not like the film due to this immense pessimism. However, if you look at the film for what it is: a cold and gritty reality for many Germans facing death and poverty in the wake of utter destruction as they all try to cope in the best way they can. With this notion, the film becomes a bleak snapshot of the ruins of the most causal war in the 20th century. The film is a document to post-war nihilism and melancholy.
2. Paisan (1946)
After the rousing success of 1945's "Rome Open City," Roberto Rossellini continued with the neo-realist style with another depiction of the liberation of Italy. With "Paisan," Rossellini tells six episodic stories all centering on the partnership between the American military and both the Italian military and its citizens. Each episode demonstrates how the war and its continuation creates a necessity for people to come together and help each other. Despite all the tragedy taking place all around the characters, it only brings them closer together and forces them into a shared empathy for their fellow human beings. It's a film filled with immense hope, while also acknowledging the immense suffering taking place right alongside this hope.
1. Rome, Open City (1945)
One of the most important films ever made, "Rome, Open City" was Roberto Rossellini's letter to the world about the trauma and horror of Nazi occupied Italy. If Luchino Visconti's 1943 film "Ossessione" laid the groundwork for the Italian neo-realist film movement, then "Rome, Open City" cemented it as one of the most significant film movements in history. The starkness of the film's themes and visual cinematography lays bare not only the uncomfortable truths of fascist oppression, but also lays bare the human soul of its characters. In moments of great strife and horror, these characters are able to define themselves. Their true nature is revealed through either their integrity or cowardice. The tragedy of their story does not go to waste, nor does the tragedy of the real victims of this trauma. Rather, "Rome, Open City" becomes one of the most important documents of the war. Despite its fictional characters, it iterates the true heroism and integrity of the real victims who gave their life for their fellow citizen. The results are stark, the emotions are felt, and the film (along with its characters) are open and real.
Comments
Post a Comment