Rent Rome, Open City (1945)

3.9 of 5 from 165 ratings
1h 43min
Rent Rome, Open City (aka Roma, città aperta) Online DVD & Blu-ray Rental
  • General info
  • Available formats
Synopsis:
One of the greatest foreign language films ever made, Roberto Rossellini "Rome, Open City" was filmed in the direct aftermath of World War II on the war-ravaged streets of Italy. Based on real events that took place in the Nazi-occupied Italy in 1944, it examines the choices that people are forced to make in wartime. Centring on the Resistance and its members, this is a tragic and emotional exploration of human spirit and the effects of war.
Actors:
, , , , , , , , , , Carla Rovere, Carlo Sindici, ,
Directors:
Producers:
Giuseppe Amato, Ferruccio De Martino, Rod E. Geiger, Roberto Rossellini
Writers:
Sergio Amidei, Federico Fellini, Roberto Rossellini, Alberto Consiglio
Others:
F. Fellini
Aka:
Roma, città aperta
Studio:
Arrow Films
Genres:
Action & Adventure, Classics, Drama
Collections:
10 Films to Watch if You Like: Amarcord, Award Winners, Oscars: Winners & Losers, The Instant Expert's Guide, The Instant Expert's Guide to Federico Fellini, Top 10 Best Last Films: World Cinema, Top 10 Cannes Palme d'Or Winners, Top Films
Countries:
Italy
Awards:

1946 Cannes Grand Prize Ex-aequo V

BBFC:
Release Date:
11/04/2005
Run Time:
103 minutes
Languages:
Italian Dolby Digital 1.0 Mono
Subtitles:
English
DVD Regions:
Region 0 (All)
Formats:
Pal
Aspect Ratio:
Full Screen 1.33:1 / 4:3
Colour:
B & W
BBFC:
Release Date:
01/04/2015
Run Time:
103 minutes
Languages:
English LPCM Mono, German LPCM Mono, Italian LPCM Mono
Subtitles:
None
Formats:
Pal
Aspect Ratio:
Full Screen 1.33:1 / 4:3
Colour:
B & W
BLU-RAY Regions:
B
Bonus:
  • L'amore (Roberto Rossellini, 1948, 80 mins): Rossellini's controversial two-part anthology film showcasing the manifold talents of Anna Magnani. The first part, A Human Voice, is written by Jean Cocteau, and the second, The Miracle, is written by Federico Fellini, who also puts in an acting appearance
  • Children of Open City (Laura Muscardin, 2005, 53 mins): documentary featuring Vito Annicchiarico visiting key locations from Rome, Open City and sharing memories of the shoot
  • Into the Future (Tag Gallagher, 2009, 32 mins): visual essay on the War Trilogy by film scholar Tag Gallagher

More like Rome, Open City

Reviews (4) of Rome, Open City

Death In Rome. - Rome, Open City review by NC

Spoiler Alert
30/04/2019

Forgive the quality of the print. Much of it was pieced together from scraps of stock left over from the German and American forces, giving some idea of the circumstances Rossellini worked under in making this film. The bombed-out buildings, the streets, the very clothes the people stood up in, were as authentic as you can get. Filmed in 1945, immediately after the German occupation, it is filled with all the vitriol you may expect, which goes a long way to forgiving the total black/white, good/evil divide, but the portrayals of the head Nazi and the femme fatale spy as homosexual (and therefore somehow depraved) is less easy to overlook, even when taking the very different attitudes of the time into account.

Because it was made while the smoke of war was still in the air, there is a convincing feel to it - even German P.O.W,s were used as soldier extras! Non-professionals for most of the cast add to the 'reality' of what we see. 'Rome, Open City' was not the first film made in a certain style, with a particular content, which came to be known as 'neorealist', but it was the first to gain international recognition, winning the best film prize at Cannes. How much the success influenced further (and greater) examples will remain conjecture, but its groundbreaking significance will not.

The documentary, realist direction may give a ringside seat, as it were, to a certain time and a certain place, but it does have the drawback of concentrating so much on authenticity, that the characters who inhabit that certain time and place become amorphous. This does not happen in, say, 'Bicycle Thieves', because the focus is solely on the man and boy; it does not happen in 'The Battle Of Algiers' because the story is the conflict, not the characters. But 'Rome, Open City' has quite a large cast, with a number of them given considerable time on screen. Two of them: Don Pietro and Pina turn out to be the protagonists. Because of Rossellini's distancing effect however, their fates become just another occurrence of the tragic period. Should we feel more? I think we should - but it doesn't happen. Nevertheless Aldo Fabrizi and Anna Magnani, two of the few professionals in the cast, are wonderful.

It cannot be seen as the greatest of neorealist films, yet there is no doubt it is one of the landmarks in the history of cinema.

1 out of 2 members found this review helpful.

A truly heroic record of the Roman Resistance. - Rome, Open City review by Steve

Spoiler Alert
28/06/2012

Important and inspiring documentary style drama about the Italian resistance, which kick started the Italian Neo Realist movement. Remarkable that it was even made, more so that it is so brilliant.

1 out of 1 members found this review helpful.

Poor quality print brings it down - Rome, Open City review by MS

Spoiler Alert
12/12/2015

The four stars are for the actual film, which is a compelling and beautifully acted tale of the Italian Resistance in World War 2.

Unfortunately, although this great film was re-released a year ago in a new print with new subtitles, I was sent the old print. It's quite grainy and, worse, there are only subtitles for about 50% of the dialogue, if that! I had to read up on the whole plot before I could watch it and, while it was worthwhile, why not get the new Blu-Ray for customers?

1 out of 1 members found this review helpful.

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