Paisà (1946)

Director:

Roberto Rossellini

Writers:

Sergio Amidei (story) &
Klaus Mann (story) ...

Release Date:

29 March 1948 (USA)

Genre:

War | Drama

Plot:

Six vignettes follow the Allied invasion from July 1943 to winter 1944, from Sicily north to Venice...

Plot Keywords:

Partisan | Nurse | Street Urchin | Sicily | Movie Divided In Episodes

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 7 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Carmela Sazio	...	Carmela (episode I: Sicilia)
Robert Van Loon	...	Joe, the American soldier (episode I: Sicilia)
Benjamin Emanuel	...	An American soldier (episode I: Sicilia)
Raymond Campbell	...	An American soldier (episode I: Sicilia)
Harold Wagner	...	Harry, a German soldier (episode I: Sicilia)
Albert Heinze	...	A German soldier (episode I: Sicilia)
Merlin Berth	...	Merlin, an American soldier (episode I: Sicilia)
Mats Carlson	...	Swede, an American soldier (episode I: Sicilia)
Leonard Parrish	...	An American soldier (episode I: Sicilia) (as Leonard Penish)
Dots Johnson	...	Joe - the American MP (episode II: Napoli) (as Dots M. Johnson)
Alfonsino Pasca	...	Pasquale (episode II: Napoli) (as Alfonsino)
Maria Michi	...	Francesca (episode III: Roma)
Gar Moore	...	Fred, an American soldier (episode III: Roma)
Harriet Medin	...	Harriet, the nurse (episode IV: Firenze) (as Harriet White)
Renzo Avanzo	...	Massimo (episode IV: Firenze)

Also Known As:

Paisan (USA)

Runtime:

USA:120 min | 134 min (restored version) | Italy:125 min

Country:

Italy

Language:

Italian | English | German | Sicilian

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Canada:PG (Ontario) | Italy:T | USA:Approved (PCA #4698) | Sweden:15

Filming Locations:

Florence, Tuscany, Italy

Company:

Organizzazione Film Internazionali (OFI)

Trivia:

The monks in the fifth episode were authentic Franciscan monks from the Maiori convent, near Salerno

Movie Connections:

Featured in Il mio viaggio in Italia (1999)

A Fine Dramatic Representation of American Liberation in Italy

This film was well done for what Rosselini had. Although I was never a fan of many of these films done with left-over soldiers and bad actors to show what real-life people were like, "Paisan" definitely shows the unity of people joined in a cause. Each episode of the American progress north through Italy the American/Italian relationship become a little more united. Until, finally, in the Po River Valley, the Americans and the Italians are almost indistinguishable from one another. It conveys a good message through a good medium.

The on-location shooting was a plus, too. For people who have been to Firenze, Napoli, Sicilia, Roma, or any of the locations in this film, it is a stunning sight to see places you know crawling with Nazis and Allies struggling. It endows the movie with a sense of realism that it needs badly. It needs this realism because the acting is horrendous. Of course, the unskilled acting was supposed to convey more realism, but I think it detracts in actuality.

If you are interested in history or Italy during the World War, see this film. It is a good representation of what life was like then, but beware that not everything could be represented ... so it is not all-inclusive. It is a long film, but anyone with an interest will enjoy it immensely, I think.