Roberto Rossellini

[Stranger Than Paradise]

Roberto Rossellini was one of the main exponents of the Italian neo-realist movement. A movement which is characterised by its depiction of working class life. Rosselini was not a Marxist as many other neo-realist directors at the time were (De Sica, Visconti) but his films are as relevant to working class life as either of those names. I think anyone who has an interest in anti-fascism will be especially interested in his masterwork: Rome, Open City. Which denounces the fascist dictatorship of Mussolini and reveals the devastating effects this had on the working class people of Italy.

Fascism is explored in many of his films and I suppose his early cinema would best be descirbed as working class anti-fascism, culminating in the glorious Rome, Open City but also including the excellent Germany Year Zero and Paisa. His later works, much like the later works of Luis Bunuel are all about denouncing the bourgeoisie and observing their decadence and reactionary nature.

Overall, for me he is fascinating director who has plenty to offer to the tradition and genre of working class cinema and is somewhat a role model in the cinema for all revolutionaries. We must build on his ideas if we are to influence change in the cinema, working class cinema should be the basis of any revolutionary director's ideas.

For more information and a detailed filmography: http://archive.sensesofcinema.com/contents/directors/02/rossellini.html#film

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...Overall, for me he is fascinating director who has plenty to offer to the tradition and genre of working class cinema and is somewhat a role model in the cinema for all revolutionaries...

Rossellini is one of the greatest film makers of all time. As the filmography shows, he went through distinct periods of development culminating in his great series of historical films. The last project he worked was a movie about Marx, and his last completed film about Jesus was suppressed in the US by the Catholic church.

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Rossellini wrote a treatment about the life of Marx and was gathering material to flesh it out at the time of his death. His son Renzo was helping with the research, and his father hadn't yet picked the screenwriter. I was told that Rossellini's treatment was published in an Italian film magazine. As far as I know it hasn't been translated into English.