Film Review of Roma Città Aperta

Film File #1

Title: Roma Città Aperta

Director: Roberto Rossellini

Producer: Giuseppe Amato, Ferruccio De Martino, Roberto Rossellini

Written by: Sergio Amidei and Federico Fellini

Editing by: Eraldo Da Roma

Cinematography by: Ubaldo Arata

Production Company: Excelsa Film

Country: Italy

Year: 1945

Language: Italian, German

Critique:

The following critique examines the historical aspects of the time in which the film was set. It points out the acting style used, how the film expresses an identifiable ideology, the political parallels found including the position the film challenges. It also briefly examines the roles of some important characters and their relevance to the historical period of WWII in Italy.

During this particular place in time where the film takes place, there was a Resistance taking place in Italy consisting of a confederation of Anti-Fascist/Nazi forces between Catholics, Communists and liberals. The resistance groups were generalized under the title CLN (Committee of National Liberation). The committee enlisted the participation of former Italian soldiers who were interested in avoiding the Republic of Salo draft. Their aim was sabotage against Nazi and Fascist parties and to eventually call an end to the war (Celli & Jones, 40). These events are all clearly depicted in Roberto Rosellini`s film Roma Città Aperta. The film is an example of a neo-realist film, and as such was filmed using on-location shooting. Some of the other neo-realist film elements of that time found in this movie include the use of popular speech, non-professional actors, synchronous sound, and a rejection of elaborate or contrived plots (Celli & Jones, 49). In Open City, there is not an elaborate plot, but more or less follows the lives of people in Rome as it would have been during the Nazi occupation with a simple plot. It focuses on the working class with emphasis. An example of this is even verbally stated when Pina makes reference to being...