“Rome, Open City”, was truly a watershed film that
would be a harbinger to independent and foreign cinema. Its use of true
location filming, non professional actors, and on the fly non-studio shooting
would be a hallmark for future films to follow. However all of the techniques
that where utilized throughout the production of this piece of Cinema, the core message which came down to religious faith remains almost
equally as fascinating. The film tackles the lack of faith in Rome during the
influx of Fascism and thus leading to a crisis of religious emptiness during
the time of occupation. This lack of
faith is represented throughout the mise en scene, characters, scenes, and
the directors allegorical intent to give hope for the future. Lastly how
Rossellini hints towards another occupation by Capitalist forces in the Allied
invasion and how a religious society may shift towards a consumerist/capitalist
one and this may not be a positive change.
