Soon after the liberation of Italy in 1945, Roberto Rossellini broke new cinematic ground on the war torn streets of Rome by filming the life affirming struggles of ordinary Roman citizens who defied Fascist forces in his incredible Open City (Roma, città aperta). Forced to use whatever film stock he could salvage and to use amateurs to fill in necessary roles, Rossellini's film stands as a historic landmark--an introduction to a new film movement termed Italian neo-realism. Significantly it also marks the first time that Federico Fellini ever worked on a film, as he had been approached by a chance meeting with the elder Rossellini.

Because of the immediate post war conditions in ravaged Rome, Rossellini was forced to use whatever resources he could muster to make any film at all, considering that he had a total budget of only $20,000. Thus, the rough cinema verité appearance achieved in Open City with its natural lighting and uneven film stock was more due to economic and pragmatic considerations than it was a deliberate attempt to found the new Italian art form of neo-realism. Fellini confirms this in I, Fellini:

”Neorealism was the natural way in Italy in 1945. There was no possibility of anything else. With Cinecittà in shambles, you had to shoot at the real location, with natural light, if you were lucky enough to have film. It was an art form invented by necessity. A neorealist was in reality any practical person who wanted to work."

Even though the film employs a large ensemble cast, two actors rise above the crowd to leave a lasting impression--Anna Magnani as Pina, a pregnant widow who is engaged to be married, and Aldo Fabrizi as Don Pietro, a sympathetic priest who helps the resistors. Magnani brings a believable intensity to her role that swings through a variety of emotions while Fabrizi adds a touch of humor to his down to earth character. One of my favorite small moments occurs when the priest discreetly turns two small marble statuettes so that the saint no longer can gaze upon the nude female figurine. Whether this small touch is due to Fellini's screenwriting, Rossellini’s directing, or Fabrizi's comic acting I cannot be sure—the scene works wonderfully.

Due to the strength of the storyline, believability of the acting, and the creative camera work, Open City's narrative involves the viewer in a way that few films from that period do. Based partly on the real life story of priest Don Morosi, the begins with the Germans in hot pursuit of resistance leader Giorgio Manfredi (Marcello Pagliero) as the German soldiers persistently seek names of the underground movement. Of course the Nazis have trademark torturous ways of getting captives to reveal secrets; however, they are having a great deal of difficulty getting the Italian underground resistance to spill information.

After escaping a German raid at his apartment, Manfredi hides out at the apartment of his friend, Francesco (Francesco Grandjaquet), where he meets his fiancé, Pina. She sends her son, Marcello (Vito Annichiarico), to bring priest Don Pietro to help Manfredi get some needed funds to the underground rebels. From his position as a priest, Pietro has a little more freedom roam the streets and make contacts, yet this does not mean that the priest has complete immunity from Nazi interference.

Another complication is added when Giorgio contacts a former lover--actress Marina (Maria Michi), who jealously confides information to Nazi agent Ingrid (Giovanna Galletti). Although this sounds like high melodrama, Rosselli pulls it off with great skill. The ensemble cast performs quite well, but the seasoned actors who play the widow and the priest clearly dominate the film with highly emotional and memorable portrayals.

Open City will forever stand as a monumental introduction to Italian neo-realism due to its emergence from the rubble of post war Rome with its stark location shooting and use of real soldiers to give the gritty film even more realism. Both the theme of the film and the making of the film stand as monuments to the tenacity and resourcefulness of the Italian people, yet Open City is good enough to rank as an artistic treasure on its own terms. Modern independent filmmakers could do well to study Rossellini's post war work to see how masterfully he can transform sparse resources into a compelling film.