(Roma, Citta Aperta)
A tribute to the great Italian actress who died last month
Starring Anna Magnani, Aldo Fabrizi

Rossellini's classic film first introduced Anna Magnani to an international audience and in the role of Pina she gives one of the most powerful and moving performances of her distinguished career. In Open City the Resistance is treated as a part of everyday life, not as a background for bravery and heroism. Conceived before the Allies entered Rome and shot on location under great difficulties while the memory of life under Nazi occupation was still vivid in the minds of both actors and technicians, it marked the Renaissance of the Italian cinema.

This Week's Films: page 11