The Director’s Series: Rossellini 2-Disc Collector’s Edition

LIONSGATE
Street: Nov. 11
Prebook: now
> Double bill of lesser-known films by Italian Neorealist Rossellini.

Roberto Rossellini tried out different filmmaking styles after the Italian Neorealist movement (which he helped start with Open City) died out in the early ’50s. Two such efforts are contained here, and surprisingly for a master dramatist, the wartime drama Era Notte a Roma (Escape by Night, 1960) is as disappointing as the comedy Dov’è la Libertà…? (Where is Liberty…?, 1954) is delightful. The overlong Era Notte finds Italian partisans sheltering a trio of Allied soldiers (conveniently composed of one Brit, one American and one Russian). Libertà is a superb dark comedy that finds an ex-con (Totò) discovering that the outside world is more corrupt and demoralizing than prison. Utilizing the Keaton-esque Totò perfectly, Rossellini crafts a wry commentary on post-war Italy that also happens to be laugh-out-loud funny.

Shelf Talk: The bulk of Rossellini’s filmography isn’t available on DVD in the U.S., so this set will be welcomed by film students and lovers of Italian cinema. The comic half of the double feature is stronger, so shelving the set next to classic Italian comedies such as Big Deal on Madonna Street and Marriage Italian Style is recommended.