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The Allies had barely driven the Nazis out of Rome when RobertoRosselini went to work on Open City, considered by most to be his greatest work.Shot on bits and short ends of scavenged film, this film helped define Italian neorealism.Audiences were convinced that the actors were all amateurs (they weren't) and the whole film was improvised (it wasn't; the three screenwriters included Federico Fellini).With its semidocumentary camera style and use of actual locations, the film does feel very real.Of course, so does the opening half-hour of Saving Private Ryan, and like that film Open City is at its heart a classic war yarn any Hollywood studio would feel at home with. The story involves members of the Italian underground trying to smuggle badly needed cash out of Nazi-occupied Rome to partisan fighters in the mountains, while the Nazis are hunting down one of the underground, a notorious freedom fighter and seditionist.Anna Magnani (an actor well established in her own country who became an international star with this film) is often singled out for her portrayal as the pregnant, unwed woman who gets caught up in the action on her wedding day, but the entire cast is topnotch.The sparse subtitles are both a blessing and a curse--there is less to read, which allows the viewer to concentrate on the visuals, but there are times when non-Italian-speakers will feel like they're missing out on some juicy dialogue. --Geof Miller ... Read more

Reviews (16)

In the smallest list of the greatest films of all time
Open City is generally considered to be in the top ten films of all time in terms of historical cinematic importance, stylistic achievement, and emotional power. It established the modern film, using available light, actual settings and a mix of theatrical and non-theatrical actors. Its musical score is breathtaking. It remains the first modern film, the first Italian neo-realist film, and possibly the most powerful film ever made. I have seen it three times in a theatre. Each time, virtually the entire audience was overwhelmed, sobbing uncontrolably at the end of the picture.

There has been so much written about this picture, I will only mention a few details. It was shot in Rome using captured German newsreal film as the Nazis left town. (Which is the reason the film quality bounces around as the differing film stocks were used.) When Ingrid Bergman saw the picture, she fell in love with the director she had never met, left her husband, flew to Italy, and married Rossellini.

There are too many great scenes to list. Let me just say that the near-final scene when the little priest damns the German officer and then apologizes to God is, for me, the single greatest moment in film.

Open City should be seen and owned by anyone interested in the movies.

Rossellini's Breakthrough
Italian film owes much to Roberto Rossellini. World film owes him more than he's worth, I'm afraid. Made under some of the most impoverished conditions an underground film ever had to face, Rome Open City has its moments of almost "documentary" realness. But then Rossellini had to tell a hopelessly melodramatic story of partisans betrayed by faithless women (most assuredly not Anna Magnani!) tortured by Nazis without betraying a single comrade, while an Italian priest watches over it all like Edmond O'Brien and invokes the wrath of God on the Germans. Far less "neo-realist" than propagandistic. Yet Rossellini got a career (and Ingrid Bergman) out of it.

Filmed in Anger
I watched Jean Renoir's Grand Illusion and Rossellini's Open City one day apart. Renoir's film about WWI prisoners of war was filled with nuance, ambiguity, and a sense of now muddy the waters are in life.

Rosselini's Open City rejected nuance and ambiguity; it was an angry film and understandibly so. Yet both Rosselini's film and Renoir's film attempt to reveal what is noble in humans.

Many criticisms can be made of Rosselini's film--other reviewers have made them--but it is a film that has an impact on the viewer. But the viewer should be reminded of one of Renoir's points: to what exent does the belief in black and white and the belief that good will eventually triumph serve as a grand--but false--illusion.

The viewer of Open City should keep in mind the real world political context of the film: the resistence movement in Italy was often led by communists. This was true in many other European countries during WWII. Rossellini's film certainly presented a communist leader as noble and heroic.

This was a real problem for the US forces which displaced the Germans. Domestic communists often had the most legitimacy of all groups who resisted the Germans. US policies in the immediate post-WWII period often attempted to undercut the political standing of the communists. Some have argued that the post-war Marshall plan for the reconstruction of Europe was based on the attempt to foster pro-business groups in Europe in order to undercut the social standing of communists.

I'm sure that the US post-war European authorities hated Open City because of OC's celebration of the role of communisits.

Five stars for the film - Four stars for the DVD
This is an awesomely powerful film - great movie! This is a must-see film for all movie fans worldwide. I loved the characters! They are so memorable - wonderful characters!
There are so many subtleties in this film, such as the "inverted" sexuality of the evil Nazi leaders, the cooperation of the Catholic clergy and the Communist rebels, the "good wife" vs her wanna-be starlet younger sister, the future of Italy expressed by the children at the end of the film, etc that it takes several viewings to absorb it all, but the ride is worth it.
The DVD is mastered at somewhat less than perfect standards however and the subtitling is part of the film and not overlaid and clearer in image unfortunately. There are no extras on the DVD, nor is there an audio-commentary track which would have been a wonderful addition! (Maybe next time).
Still, this is a brilliant film and I highly recommend it!!!

All roads lead to OPEN CITY ...
A few thoughts after reading these reviews...

OC is one of the top half-dozen films ever made. The attempt by Kino Video to make a version of this classic for the 'sweet-and-light' crowd by excluding (actually, they diminish) the blowtorch shot, is an abomination.

I'm glad this film is only $.... It is abridged in this edition. The Conoisseur Video print is, as others here have indicated, superior for that reason. Films like this go for about $... in these 'art house' editions. The viewer is, however, being cheated of the overall impact of the film by this Kino 'dollar-saver' edition.

You can regard a scene as brutal. However, trying to adapt a classic like OC for the 10-year-olds' market, or for effetely over-sensitive types is ridiculous. Would you take 'White-Out' to a Bosch painting ?

I consider this slashing of OC to be on the order of tampering with the classic scene in 'Citizen Kane' of Orson Welle's trashing the bedroom. It is regrettable.

For this reason, I am unlikely to procure a Kino Video copy of this film. I would be cheating my guests who I introduce this film to. I lament that I have waited so long to procure a copy. The more complete Conoisseur Video print is, as of this date, unavailable.(It features the Italian title footage,'ROMA: Citta Aperta' at the beginning, with an overhead shot of the city, by the way, for those who like to know such things...)

... and Kino has the gall to feature a snip of the blowtorch scene on the back package/cover, as though to imply it is included in their print! What a rip-off ... Rossellini would turn in his grave.

Kino deserves to be snubbed for the violence they have done to this print. It offends and irritates me deeply. They should be hissed off the stage. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Combining the immediacy of Italian neorealism with potent criticism of post-war Italian society, Mamma Roma is one of Pier Paolo Pasolini's most accessible and satisfying films. This was only his second feature, but Pasolini (who was mysteriously murdered in 1975) was already demonstrating a powerful affinity for cinema as a forum for his anti-Fascist ideology. To express his outrage at the spiritual vacancy of vulgar consumerism, Pasolini cast the great Anna Magnani in the title role, a former prostitute struggling to transcend her sordid past in a desperate attempt to give her estranged teenage son the better life she never had. In Pasolini's worldview, Mamma's petit bourgeois idealism can only be doomed, and the film assumes the melodramatic thrust of tragic opera. Like most of Pasolini's films, Mamma Roma attracted controversy, but it was nothing compared to the outcry over "La ricotta," a 35-minute short featuring Orson Welles (part of the 1963 anthology film RoGoPaG, and included here for the first time on DVD). Seized and condemned "for insulting the religion of the state," "La ricotta" presents the crucifixion of Christ as an incendiary criticism of the Catholic Church, in which the actor playing Jesus stuffs himself with ricotta cheese and dies from indigestion on the cross!

As usual, Criterion has done an exemplary job of assembling a wealth of supplementary materials. Pasolini's films demand at least rudimentary understanding of his life and politics, and that background is provided through new interviews with former collaborators, a clip-laden 1995 documentary about Pasolini's career, and a 32-page booklet containing excerpts of interviews from the out-of-print book Pasolini on Pasolini, along with a mini-essay on Mamma Roma that further illuminates the film in the context of Pasolini's controversial career. For anyone interested in Pasolini's art, this two-disc set provides a suitable starting point, offering important films and scholarly study in the esteemed Criterion tradition. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Un Figlio Di Puttana - A PG-13 Review.
That's pretty much what this film is about. For those of you who don't know "figlio di puttana" is Italian for "a whore's son" or "son of a whore". It is a common everyday Italian insult. It's used in the same way as the North American saying "son of a bitch."

This was my first time watching a film by Pier Paulo Pasolini and I was extremely impressed. I plan to watch all of his films in the near future. As I stated before Mamma Roma is a story about a whore (Mamma Roma) and her son (Ettore). I won't write any more about the story than what I already have. A review that reveals too much about a film really doesn't serve as a review but rather as a boring synopsis.

I would like to say that Criterion has done an amazing job with this DVD. The special features on this 2 disc set are really good and contain some very rare documentaries and short films. The DVD also contains Pasolini's previously banned, short and shocking film "La Ricotta." It stars Orson Welles and is a gem worth buying all it's own. It's the best special feature I have ever seen on a Criterion disc. Die hard fans of Orson Welles should really pick this DVD up. Even if they don't like Mamma Roma that short film is worth it alone.

5 Stars.

Pasolini's Brilliant Cinematic Maternal Exploration...
The legendary Pier Paolo Pasolini was an essayist, poet, political activist, and a film maker who made Mamma Roma in the 60s as Anna Magnani requested to make a film with him. The result of the collaboration between the two left the world with a marvelous cinematic experience. However, Mamma Roma was condemned after its release as it was deemed immoral. Mamma Roma is not Pasolini's most famous film, but it is an essential piece of cinematic history as it tackles many different issues such as the catholic church, prostitution, and parenting.

The tale begins with Mamma Roma (Anna Magnani) who has recently gotten rid of her pimp boyfriend as he has married another woman. Delighted Mamma Roma seeks out her 16-year-old son Ettore whom she has not seen since infancy as she struggles with her guilt of deserting Ettore when he was a baby. She is also ashamed of her past as a prostitute and wants to start over as a fruit vendor and be the mother she never was for Ettore. However, Mamma Roma has no skills in raising a child and is even less equipped to handle a teenager that has been neglected since childhood. This is in the backdrop of Mamma Roma's old boyfriend threatening to unveil her secret to her son, and her political thoughts of injustices in the 60s Italy.

Mamma Roma is an exploration of the symbiosis that exists between mother and son, but Pasolini removes this connection between the Mamma Roma and Ettore as she abandoned Ettore at infancy. The abandonment leaves the audience with the gap between Mamma Roma and Ettore. This gap is closely examined as Mamma Roma and Ettore initially reunite in order to later drift apart due to years of missing parental guidance. Pasolini personifies neglect and poor parental guidance through Anna Magnani, Mamma Roma, who is frenetically trying to be a good mother. Mamma Roma's parental attempts bring an understanding of the symbiosis that connects a mother and her son through parental care, yet her love for Ettore is not enough as her words do not mean anything to Ettore.

A Great vision that all little boys and girls should see
Absolutely fantastic film, and a good starting point for seeing inside the brilliant and twisted mind of Pasolini. It gets my five stars, and all my compliments.

Molto Fantastico!

Incredible camera movement and realism
I love this movie not entirely for the storyline, but more so for the camera movement which creates a great sense of realism to the film. I have noticed many similarities in Pasolini's style in Martin Scorsese's work. The scene in Goodfellas where the couple walks into the Copa Cabana through the back entrance is a derivative of the scene in the city with all the street lights. I don't know too much about directing but I do know when a good director has worked on a film. I recommend this movie to those interested in the art of italian realism cinema. ... Read more

Amazon.com

It is almost a quarter of a century since Maria Callas died. But theyears have done little to diminish interest in this most iconic of divas. Thedebate surrounding the real quality of that voice continues to be fanned by herdevotees and detractors, intermittently reaching fever pitch with the arrival ofanother biography or the commercial release of a newly discovered liverecording. Tony Palmer's 1987 film portrait, now available on DVD, towers overthe bulk of contributions to the Callas industry because it manages to be bothpassionate about its subject and objective about the forces that shaped a greatmusical talent and then left it in ruins.

Lengthy interviews with colleagues and confidants embrace both Callas'sundoubted theatrical genius and the emotional traumas that propelled herstumbling private life. The scene is set from the moment this documentary'sproducer, John Ardoin (himself a Callas biographer), declares thestory of Callas the woman to be one of the great tragedies of our time. Fromthat point, the film forges potent links between the evolution of the diva'sartistry through her great performances--Tosca, in particular--and thedefiant soul captured in a considerable archive of media encounters that rangefrom the intense and contemptuous to the coquettish. This is 90 essentialminutes for anyone interested in the Callas legend. Her story will never bebetter told. --Piers Ford ... Read more

Reviews (3)

not just for La Divina fans
Pretty good documentary on Callas phenomenon. One certainly gets an idea of what it was all about. A bit too much of shallow psychology (Maria the artist, Maria the woman), but all in all it works. Even though there is much overlap with another documentary (Callas - Life and Art) this one is definitely better executed and gives more. If you want just the art part get Hamburg or Paris recital DVDs.

Diva Of Divas.
I, admittedly, am not an opera expert, by any stretch... I've seen a number of productions, enjoyed the spectacle, the talent, but don't know a mezzo from a matzho. But everyone knows Maria Callas. The first time I saw a film of this Anna Magnani with a voice, I was transfixed. I became intrigued with the legend, so I bought this video. I have re-watched several times, and I found it to be informative and revealing. She has been dissected almost more than any public figure,"the greatest", "the worst", "tempermental" ...etc.., they're all here. There are interviews with people from the very beginning of her career, when the ugly-(very large)duckling had few admirers. From her first singing teacher and a fellow student, who, upon first hearing the young Maria sing, says "my own mouth fell open", in awe, from Franco Zeffirelli, who worked with and adored her, from her friends, her "swan" period, her "tantrums", her scandalous affair with and betrayal by Onassis, her decline, her public humiliation by talentless, envious critics who weren't fit to wipe her feet, her lonely end. "Those whom the Gods love, they also destroy"...It offers a candid look at the greatest opera legend ever, who left in her wake detractors, yes, but also many who said seeing and hearing her was a once in a lifetime exposure to an almost supernatural talent..."possessed", as Signore Zeffirelli describes her here. I found this over-all very pleasing, it helped me to understand and better appreciate the woman who revolutionized an art form, and who many consider to be the greatest artist of this century.This film helps explain the continuing fascination. There was only one "La Divina". Long may she live.

Lack of information
There is not too much information in this DVD. La Callas sings many small pieces of arias but never tell you which arias are, there are many people interviewed but they never tell you who they are, the interviews of not English Language speaking people are "doubled" to English instead of just "subtitling" them etc. I do not recommend this DVD. ( I have others DVds of La Callas and are much better than this one) ... Read more

Description

The movies came alive with the sound of music when Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II teamed up to pen a spectacular string of musical hits, including "Oklahoma!" The King and I," "South Pacific" and of course "The Sound of Music." Join host Shirley Jones and leading ladies Julie Andrews, Rita Moreno, Nancy Kwan and Charmian Carr for the ultimate behind-the-scenes tour of their motion picture masterpieces. With spectacular film footage and never-before-seen outtakes, screen tests and home movies, "Rodgers and Hammerstein: The Sound of Movies" shows us why these are the songs we'll be singing for a thousand years. Shirley Jones, Julie Andrews, Rita Moreno, Nancy Kwan, Charmian Carr Kevin Burns 96 1995 Not Rated No Full Frame Color 5.1 Dolby Digital English No None None Unknown 1 ... Read more

Reviews (3)

charming insight
This documentary is a charming insight into the collaboration of Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein, featuring lush widescreen clips from all of their filmed musicals, and photos from stage plays.

Shirley Jones, Nancy Kwan, Charmian Carr, Rita Moreno and Julie Andrews share their memories about starring in some of the greatest musicals ever filmed, while the commentary is engrossing, and never boring.

It's great to see such moments as Nancy in FLOWER DRUM SONG, performing the famous "I Enjoy Being A Girl" with the three-way mirror. We also find out that Charmian Carr (Liesl from THE SOUND OF MUSIC) performed most of "Sixteen Going On Seventeen" with a twisted ankle! Now that IS a trouper!

The intergrated overture comprising tunes from all the shows at the beginning, is ingenious, as is the whole enterprise. This is a must for fans of R&H and classic movie buffs alike.

RODGERS AND HAMMERSTEIN LIVES ON
For my final critic,i've made a nice pick with this excellent documentary, that has excerps of all of the duo's screen adaptations ,along with some footage of DICK AND OSCAR on GROUCHO MARX SHOW(he makes fun of their names)and some scenes never seen before ,like FRANK SINATRA singing a song from CAROUSEL.To present this, they choose actors who were in these movies:SHIRLEY JONES,JULIE ANDREWS,RITA MORENO ,and even the girl who dubbed DEBORAH KERR for THE KING AND I.A documentary well worth seeing ,that can certainly be the start for future fans to be.You'll have fun seeing screen adaptations in different countries.There is no doubt today that RODGERS AND HAMMERSTEIN are part of the AMERICAN culture heritage, it's no wonder that TIME made them entertainer of the century.

Fall in Love with Rodgers & Hammerstein
I was browsing through the DVD section when I came across this gem. I'm not a big musical lover myself but I found myself humming along by the end of the DVD. "Rodgers & Hammerstein - The Sound of Movies" is a well done A & E television production. The various sections of the DVD are hosted by Shirley Jones, Rita Moreno,Charmian Carr, and Nancy Kwan. The documentary covers classic movie productions of State Fair, Oklahoma!, Carousel, The King and I, The Sound of Music, etc. With interesting tidbits about casting, production, missing scenes and/or songs, this documentary has something both people who love the musicals and those who have never seen them before. By the end of the documentary, you actually will want to see the movies themselves. There are no special features to the DVDs except the ability to do chapter searches so there probabily is no advantage to buying this on DVD versus VHS or laserdisc. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Sure, everyone's seen The Sound of Music, but how about Flower Drum Song? Or State Fair, either the 1945 version (a remake of a 1933 nonmusical) or the 1962 re-remake with Bobby Darin, Ann-Margret, and Pat Boone? Rodgers & Hammerstein: The Sound of Movies is a comprehensive and entertaining 97-minute documentary surveying the film career of the beloved songwriting team and how their screen work was interwoven with their stage work. (State Fair was written directly for the screen before they began adapting their stage shows for film.)Host Shirley Jones (the ingenue in both Oklahoma! and Carousel) provides numerous trivia tidbits on most of the films, while segments on The King and I, Flower Drum Song, and The Sound of Music are presented by those who appeared in them: Rita Moreno (Tuptim), Nancy Kwan (Linda Low), and Charmian Carr (Liesl), respectively. Also of interest will be original casting possibilities (James Dean in Oklahoma!, Marlon Brando in Carousel), rarely seen outtakes, live television performances, and clips from films that inspired Rodgers and Hammerstein's shows (including Rex Harrison as the king of Siam). Because Rodgers and Hammerstein's films were deeply involved in the development of widescreen techniques such as CinemaScope, this documentary is savvy enough to present its clips in letterboxed widescreen format, but that footage is occasionally grainy. Unfortunately, The Sound of Movies was filmed in 1995, four years before the release of sumptuous remasterings of six of these featured films. --David Horiuchi ... Read more

Reviews (3)

charming insight
This documentary is a charming insight into the collaboration of Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein, featuring lush widescreen clips from all of their filmed musicals, and photos from stage plays.

Shirley Jones, Nancy Kwan, Charmian Carr, Rita Moreno and Julie Andrews share their memories about starring in some of the greatest musicals ever filmed, while the commentary is engrossing, and never boring.

It's great to see such moments as Nancy in FLOWER DRUM SONG, performing the famous "I Enjoy Being A Girl" with the three-way mirror. We also find out that Charmian Carr (Liesl from THE SOUND OF MUSIC) performed most of "Sixteen Going On Seventeen" with a twisted ankle! Now that IS a trouper!

The intergrated overture comprising tunes from all the shows at the beginning, is ingenious, as is the whole enterprise. This is a must for fans of R&H and classic movie buffs alike.

RODGERS AND HAMMERSTEIN LIVES ON
For my final critic,i've made a nice pick with this excellent documentary, that has excerps of all of the duo's screen adaptations ,along with some footage of DICK AND OSCAR on GROUCHO MARX SHOW(he makes fun of their names)and some scenes never seen before ,like FRANK SINATRA singing a song from CAROUSEL.To present this, they choose actors who were in these movies:SHIRLEY JONES,JULIE ANDREWS,RITA MORENO ,and even the girl who dubbed DEBORAH KERR for THE KING AND I.A documentary well worth seeing ,that can certainly be the start for future fans to be.You'll have fun seeing screen adaptations in different countries.There is no doubt today that RODGERS AND HAMMERSTEIN are part of the AMERICAN culture heritage, it's no wonder that TIME made them entertainer of the century.

Fall in Love with Rodgers & Hammerstein
I was browsing through the DVD section when I came across this gem. I'm not a big musical lover myself but I found myself humming along by the end of the DVD. "Rodgers & Hammerstein - The Sound of Movies" is a well done A & E television production. The various sections of the DVD are hosted by Shirley Jones, Rita Moreno,Charmian Carr, and Nancy Kwan. The documentary covers classic movie productions of State Fair, Oklahoma!, Carousel, The King and I, The Sound of Music, etc. With interesting tidbits about casting, production, missing scenes and/or songs, this documentary has something both people who love the musicals and those who have never seen them before. By the end of the documentary, you actually will want to see the movies themselves. There are no special features to the DVDs except the ability to do chapter searches so there probabily is no advantage to buying this on DVD versus VHS or laserdisc. ... Read more