Rome, Open City (1945) and the Nazi Fascism State

Rossellini’s film seems to constitute one of the first pieces of the neorealist aesthetics of the Italian Cinema. Focusing on social issues, and representing the misery lives of Italian people, Rome, Open city narrates different and connected stories, all of them with a tragical ending.

In this brief text we shall focus on some different characters and their stories, exploring how they are related to the abuses and horrors promoted by the Nazi Fascism state in Italy.

Giorgio Manfredi

Leader of a communist group, Manfredi was being chased by the Nazi Fascist state. He is in love with the prostitute Marina, but believes “she is no woman” for him (we can think he is judgmental about her condition and that it causes his death). It seems he is captured because of the way she sees and treats her, since she calls the nazis after an episode in which he mistreats her loves. He dies for his cause.

Marina

Marina is a prostitute addicted to drugs. It is interesting to see that she betrayals her lover in exchange for drugs and a fur coat. The first, may be seen as a way to escape from her miserable life, and the second seems to constitute a symbol of her condition as a prostitute, having relationships with men in exchange for a luxury and a more comfortable life. “Life is filthy and brutal. I know what poverty is, and it scares me.”, she says. Marina “sells” herself and the life of her lover in exchange for material things and an escape from reality. We can see that as a consequence of the misery promoted, among other things, by the Nazi-fascism system. Her final destiny is so horrific as Manfredi’s, since she realizes the misery of her choices and life in an extreme way.

Dom Pietro

Dom Pietro is a catholic priest who helps Manfredi and the resistance. He is confronted by the attrocities commited by the fascists and the inactivity of God. It is interesting to see that even in those conditions the priest and even the italian people (including the fascist italian soldiers) keeps their faith in God. The italian soldiers deliberately avoid killing the priest even after having such orders. A German officer kills Dom Pietro himself. Such event seems to suggest a catholic vocation of the italian people and a nationalistic point of view from the movie that would put the catholic church, the religion and the italians in opposition to the fascist regime, impacted by Germany Nazism and guided by a rational discourse.

In short, Rome Open city explores different issues connected with the Nazi-fascist regime, exposing the misery of people’s lives, their ways to escape from reality and other important themes that would affect Italian society at the time.