简介：AFascistpilot,Lt.GinoRossati(MassimoGirotti),isflyingabombingrunfromItalytoGreeceintheearlyspringof1941.HeisshotdownbyBritishaircraftandbecomesaprisonerofwar,firstoftheBritishandlatertheGreeks.Inoneoftheprisoncamps,hefallsinlovewithAnna(MichelaBelmonte),theteenagedaughterofanItaliandoctor.Thefilm'ssupervisorandstoryauthor,"TitoSilvioMursino,"thescreenpseudonymofVittorioMussolini,wasthesonofItaly'sFascistdictatorBenitoMussolini. ForthefirsttimeI'veseenafilmbyRobertoRossellinipriortohisNeorealistclassics,basedonastorybyilDuce'sson,VittorioMussolini(creditedwiththeanagramTitoSilvioMursino).Sobyitsdateandoriginitmaybelabeleda"Fascistfilm",butnotsurprisinglyRosselliniavoidsanyovertreferencetoorexaltationoftheregime,fromascreenplayco-writtenwithMichelangeloAntonioni,amongothers.AtfirstIthoughtIwasgoingtoseeasortofItalian"TopGun"asthemovietakesaround20minutesdescribingtheactivitiesofItalianpilots,butsoontheairplaneofthetitlehero(MassimoGirotti,thestarofVisconti's"Ossessione")isknockeddownandheisimprisonedbytheBritishofficers.Suddenlythehunterbecomesthehunted,andRossellinielaboratesonhisbeliefthatpersonalstoriesareillustrationsofhistoryandpolitics:thepilotisnothingbutapuppetofhiscountry'sforeignpolicy.Rossellinithendescribesthestateoftheprisoners,astheyendurecold,hungeranddisease,andaretakenbytheBritishfromanoldfarmtoaportintheMediterranean,whilebombsaredroppedoverroads,fieldsandbridges,toapatrioticending(thatisrevealedbythetitle).Rossellinitellsthisstoryin85minutes,withearlyexamplesofwhatBazinwoulddescribeas"imagefact":longtakes,wherethecameramoves(includinga360°turn)nottoadvancethestory,buttoshowtheenvironment,theconditionswherethecharactersinteract.Rossellininarratesfastandsynthesizesthefable,thoughhiseconomywasnotdetermined--asin"Romà,cittaaperta"--bythesurroundingevents(war),showingthedevelopmentofastylethatwouldgrowduringtheNeorealistmovement…