Roberto Rossellini — Playwright (29)

Movie

The Chicken (1953)
Ingrid Bergman TMDB
other title: Ingrid Bergman
Ingrid Bergman notices that her roses have been destroyed. At first she suspects it is her dogs or her children, but later on notices a chicken walking around the area of her roses. (Originally appeared as a segment of the omnibus film "Siamo donne" ("We, the Women") but later presented separately as a short film.)

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Garibaldi (1961)
Viva l'Italia! WikiData IMDb TMDB Douban
other title: 비바 이탈리아! / Vive l'Italie …
The film shows how Italy's historic national hero Giuseppe Garibaldi (embodied by Renzo Ricci) leads a military campaign known as Expedition of the Thousand in 1860 and conquers Sicily and Naples. When the Bourbon monarchy has left Southern Italy, he supports Victor Emmanuel II of Italy who achieves a lasting unification under the aegis the House of Savoy. Roberto Rossellini stated he was very more proud of this film than of any other film he ever made.

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Where Is Freedom? (1954)
Dov'è la libertà...? WikiData IMDb TMDB
other title: Wo ist die Freiheit? / Où est la liberté ? …
A barber, murderer because of jealousy, spends twenty years in jail. He cannot, however adjust himself to a changed world and to the hypocrisy of his own relatives and decides to return behind bars.

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Vanina Vanini (film) (1961)
Vanina Vanini WikiData IMDb TMDB Douban
Roberto Rossellini actor: 桑德拉·米洛 / 洛朗·特兹弗 …
other title: 瓦尼娜·瓦尼尼 / Vanina Vanini …
Vanina Vanini, a bored, spoiled Roman countess, falls in love with a dedicated young patriot who is in Rome to assassinate a traitor to the brotherhood of the Free Masons.

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Desiderio (1946)
Desiderio Douban
马塞洛·巴格利埃罗 / 罗伯托·罗西里尼 actor: 马西莫·吉洛蒂 / 卡尔洛·尼奇 …
other title: 欲望 / Desire
Released in the United States in the early 50's under the title of WOMAN, this obscure early Rossellini film was made at the end of the war and completed by Marcello Pagliero. It is a sensational little tragedy about a prostitute who returns from the city to her home town where she is variously loved, spurned, and lusted over. The grim, fatalistic atmosphere bears a good deal of resemblance to the much better known contemporary masterpiece OSSESSIONE, by Luchino Visconti. In fact Massimo Girotti appears in both films. Elli Parvo is quite riveting in the main role.

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Augustine of Hippo (1972)
Agostino d'Ippona Douban
罗伯托·罗西里尼 actor: Dary Berkani / Virgilio Gazzolo …
other title: 希波主教奥古斯丁 / Agostino d'Ippona
It does a reasonably good job of situating the drama in 5th century Roman Africa, even though the external sets are obviously contemporary (to Rossellini) Roman remains. The interiors are well done and convincing. The drama is dramatic when it needs to be, though there are some lengthy theological discussions, and one does get a sense of the power of St. Augustine's preaching, of the theological disputes of the time and of the tasks of a bishop. The scenes from his life, though limited till his later life, are well chosen to illustrate his character and accomplishments.

Movie

Joan of Arc at the Stake (1954)
Giovanna d'Arco al rogo WikiData IMDb TMDB Douban
Roberto Rossellini actor: Ingrid Bergman / 托里奥·卡米纳提 …
other title: 火刑柱上的贞德 / Giovanna d'Arco al rogo …
Joan of Arc is being burned alive for heresy. In a kind of dream state, she departs from her body and begins to look back upon her life. She begins this journey in a depressed and demoralized state. However, a priest appears to help guide her. First, he shows her those that accused her in the guise of animal characters, in order to show her their true nature. Then, he shows her the good that she has performed for people. In the end, she is proud of what she has done and is ready to face the flames.

Movie

The Man with the Cross (1943)
L' Uomo dalla croce WikiData IMDb TMDB Douban
other title: 背负十字架的人 / L' Uomo dalla croce …
An extremely rare film by Roberto Rossellini, his third feature, made under the Fascist control of Italy. Basically rejected after the War because of the Fascist content of the film, "Rossellini produces a work which focuses upon the Italian expeditionary forces on the Eastern Front and upon a Catholic chaplain representative of Italy's religious majority…the principal character's humanity and sacrifice seem to prefigure the good-natured priest of Rome, Open City who works with leftist Resistance leaders…Rossellini underlines the common humanity in Fascist and Bolshevik alike" (Peter Bonadella, Italian Cinema from Neo-Realism to Present). Made during the fascist years ,this is par excellence a propaganda movie.Roberto Rossellini 's work is sometimes preachy,mainly in the third part,when his hero tries to convince -and succeeds- the Russians that he is no sorcerer and that God loves everyone provided that he redeems his soul and comes back on the right way.The final recalls Jesus's death on the cross,the converted man playing the the good thief's part.Besides ,everybody speaks Italian and that does not help the credibility of the situations. But Rossellini's genius -which would blossom is such works as " Europa 51" "Roma cita aperta " or " Germano anno zero " occasionally surfaces: except for the opening scenes -one of the first pictures shows doves-,the world depicted in "uomo della croce" is an apocalyptic one,we keep hearing shots during almost the whole movie : overwhelming sequences display a little boy screaming,a woman having her baby as a man is dying near her,while,outside,man's madness knows no bounds. Man with a Cross was originally released in Italy as L'Uomo della Croce. Evidently, Roberto Rosselini had some difficulty concentrating on this one. He directed the film at the behest of the fascist government, at a time when his thoughts were probably focussed on his long-anticipated (and never-finished) Desiderio. The religious aspects of the plotline tend to be subordinate to the Mussolini party line. Man with a Cross contains next to none of the neorealism of Rossellini's later works

Movie

The White Ship (1941)
La nave bianca WikiData IMDb TMDB Douban
other title: 白船 / La nave bianca …
Although released anonymously, as was the custom with all films produced by the Italian Navy, La Nave Bianca is the first feature-length effort directed by Roberto Rossellini; it is also very much the work of its co-writer and supervisor Francesco De Robertis. The film combines a documentary look at the Italian Navy during World War II with newsreel combat footage and a scripted love story performed by non-professional actors.

Movie

The Taking of Power by Louis XIV (1966)
La prise de pouvoir par Louis XIV WikiData IMDb TMDB Douban
★ 7.3 12 ratings
other title: 路易十四的崛起 / La prise de pouvoir par Louis XIV …
Cardinal Mazarin dies, leaving a power vacuum in which the young Louis asserts his intention to govern as well as rule. Mazarin's fiscal advisor, Colbert, warns against Fouquet, the Superintendant who has been systematically looting the treasury and wants to be prime minister. Fouquet believes Louis will soon tire of exercizing power and overplays his hand by offering a bribe to Louis' mistress to be his ally. She reports this to the king who arrests Fouquet. Louis and Colbert design a brilliant strategy to keep merchants making money, nobles in debt, the urban poor working and fed, and peasants untaxed.

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Machine to Kill Bad People (1952)
La macchina ammazzacattivi WikiData IMDb TMDB Douban
★ 7.4 5 ratings
罗伯托·罗西里尼 actor: Gennaro Pisano / Marilyn Buferd
other title: 秘密炸弹 / La macchina ammazzacattivi …
In Amalfi, a village on the Italian coast, an old man who seems to have strange powers gives Celestino Esposito, the local photographer, a dangerous ability.