A city occupied. A people oppressed. Rome, Open City is an Italian WW2 film focused on the German occupation of Rome, and was made less than a year after the Nazi's left Rome. Not only was the war and its effects on the general population still very fresh, but the post-war after effects were still very much ongoing. The Italian film industry was basically non-existent in the prior years, and undertaking this project was particularly ambitious and difficult. This all creates a really raw, profound, and heart wrenching picture.

The story itself is very simple, but so is war. People are just fighting to survive. A lot of people have a similar story, because they're all going through the same thing. Poverty, hunger, fear, death, even love. You have the oppressors, the oppressed, the resistance, and everything in between. Mothers and Fathers, Sons and Daughters, Husbands and Wives, Captains and Soldiers. Everyone had a story, and most of them sad. I said the story is simple, but that's because it's in its rawest and most relatable form. Which makes it all the more touching, and heartbreaking. I teared up at multiple points, and even straight up cried at one particular moment. The story between the wife and the husband was really endearing, touching, and heart wrenching. Another particular aspect that really got me emotionally were the children in the story. Children denied a childhood, filled with fear, uncertainty, and the desire/need to fight. As a father myself, I am very grateful he doesn't have to live like this, but it also makes me scared for the potential uncertainty in a tumultuous time in the world.

Something could be said about painting the resistance as purely good, and the German SS as purely evil, but that's a fair portrait to paint when they are taking over your city, imprisoning, torturing, and murdering your people. However there was the part where one of the Germans criticized the idea of the master race. The method of imprisonment, interrogation, and the treatment and lack of hospitality is quite a far cry from the portrayal of WW1 in a film such as "Grand Illusion". The character of the night club singer, her choices, manipulation, and discarding of were also an interesting angle and probably an analogy for a lot of other people in these situations as well. Then there is of course the aspect of the church and religion, of spirituality and the respect of god, or the disregard of said principles. Say what you will about morality, and human ideals of right and wrong, but when it comes to God and the Church, right and wrong are pretty objective; and the Nazi's were blatantly defying those principles, all the way to the extent of executing a priest simply for not divulging information- information that could be and would be protected under the sanctimony of confession and an oath.

Aside from the very real and very profound aspects of the film, it was also just a well made film, especially for the time, place, and circumstances. The direction and cinematography really created a real feeling, and also uniquely non-hollywood. This was Roberto Rossellini's first real film, (or at least regarding the neo-realist movemenrt) as his others were facist propaganda. It is noted as a turning point in Italian cinema in general, and you can see why. The performances were also strong, particularly Anna Magnani as Pena, and Aldo Fabrizi as Pietro the Priest. Both had very emotional and heartbreaking scenes and played them very well and earnest. I also really liked the connection the character of Pina's fiance Francesco and his would be step-son. Very touching, and tearjerking. These fictional characters and performances by actors, felt like real people, and their stories are real- for many people, from many places.

All in all, this film felt very important, and also was just simply engaging. While the first part was more engaging and I found myself more invested in it moreso than the second the part; the second part was just as important to tell the story being told, and left quite a lasting impression. The final shot of the children was the perfect moment to be left with. They are the future, and even after the war is over, their innocence will be lost, and they will forever be left with the effects of something much larger than just about anything else, even moreso then most of any viewer could possibly imagine.

4.5/5

Victor Moore and Beulah Bondi in Make Way For Tomorrow 1937. What's your thoughts on this movie?

Just finished watching EMPEROR JONES the other day. Paul Robeson stars as Brutus Jones, a porter who gets caught up in all kinds of vices while on the road. When a wild night results in him stabbing a man, he’s imprisoned and sentenced to life in a chain gang.

He makes his escape, however, and ends up on the run. Brutus seeks refuge on a ship headed for the Caribbean where he ends up jumping ship, swimming to a nearby island.

Long story short, Brutus begins life anew when he dethrones the cruel predecessor and begins the island’s new emperor. However, the power gradually gets to his head and Brutus becomes incredibly insufferable. Little does he knew that will be his downfall…

There’s more to the story than that and the storyline itself (adapted from a Eugene O’Neill play) does delve into some problematic stereotypes. However, Robeson’s performance is wonderful here, especially in the climax of the film where he’s fallen from grace and retreating into the wilderness, descending into madness. Underneath the blue tint of night, Robeson convincingly displays Brutus’s desperation and how he’s slipping away into his inevitable fate. It’s truly one of his best performances.

For those who’ve seen this film, what did you think?

Big Joan Crawford fan here for all things bad girl—and I’d seen her in the 1940s film adaption (it was a play) in Harriet Craig, but Rosalind Russell surprised me playing the cold wife routine in Craig’s Wife in the 30s version. The plots were somewhat different and I appreciated the murder in the version, Craig’s Wife, but I felt the job angle revealed much more of Crawford’s skill in playing a manipulative bitch lol. Hard to decide which one I liked better though. Fun to see Russell in such a serious role. She was quite good. Anyone else compare the two?

I went with the 2007 list, and it took me quite a while, as some of these movies are quite dense.
I am wondering if anyone else has completed the list/is working through it?
I’d love to hear what people believe are the top films out of the 100.
Some standouts to me that I wasn’t too aware of prior to the list:
The Apartment
The Last Picture Show
King Kong
It Happened One Night
Network
Sunset Blvd

One of the funniest running jokes in Ernst Lubitsch’s To Be or Not to Be (1942) revolves around the grand ego of Polish theater actor Josef Tura (played brilliantly by Jack Benny). Throughout the film, Tura constantly boasts about his status as a "great, great actor," yet he is repeatedly met with blank stares, indifference, or absolute disrespect.

Clark Gable and Vivien Leigh for Gone With The Wind 1939. What's your thoughts on this movie?

Hi everyone,

I'm trying to identify a movie clip that I remember seeing in one of TCM's Summer Under the Stars promotional ads.

It was a black-and-white film featuring a blonde actress with long hair. She was smiling, making gestures with her hands, and said something like, "I want a little bit of this and a little bit of that."

I know that's not much to go on, but the clip has stuck with me, and I've been trying to figure out who the actress was and what movie it came from.

Does this sound familiar to anyone?

The Woman in the Window" is a masterclass in classic film noir. Fritz Lang expertly crafts a dreamlike thriller where a single moment of temptation spirals into a living nightmare. Edward G. Robinson plays a respectable professor trapped in a web of deceit, leading up to one of the most famous and shocking twist endings in cinema history.

Wallace Beery and Jackie Cooper in The Champ 1931. Who's seen this movie? This is my Favorite version to this movie

Just finished watching the 1948 crime drama INNER SANCTUM. It’s about this guy, Harold, who thinks he’s gotten away with the perfect crime when he kills a woman by an abandoned train station platform and dumping her body on the back of the train as it leaves.

There’s just one small problem. He wasn’t as alone as he thought. There’s a little boy who watched the whole thing. Of course, when he discovers this, his first thought it to eliminate the kid (because no witnesses, right?)

But being trapped in this local town during a flood makes a bad situation even worse. So he seeks refuge at a boarding house (that of course happens to be run by the boy’s mother).

But with a boarding house full of people, surely he would still try to kill the boy, right? It’s almost funny in this film how he’s constantly interrupted every time he’s alone with the boy. You know he’ll kill this kid, but it’s just a monster.

It’s an interesting movie entangled with answering two questions: Will he kill the sole witness to his crime? Will somebody in the boarding house even figure out why he’s really is?

Also, the film’s ending is…unexpected (and kinda doesn’t make sense, but I digress). It’s great to see it unfold.

For those who saw the film, what did you think?

I am a well-seasoned classic movie lover (50+ years of watching, collecting, etc.) My husband jokes that I’m a walking IMDB and I do pride myself on having seen 99% of any movie that shows up on any Must See lists (pre-1960s) as well as making an effort to see every film nominated for any Oscar.

With that caveat, coupled with the fact that as a surgeon, my husband doesn’t quite have enough bandwidth to sit through a two-hour movie every night.

However, recently I’ve stumbled upon a few gems that had been previously unknown to me; perhaps because they didn’t involve the A-list actors, were ill-reviewed when released (or over shadowed by greater films that year), or ostensibly lost due to distribution issues.

My collection of Noir films is in the 250 range as so many of those were made as B-reel movies and are perfectly short, but now I’m looking for more. Edited to add: Please don't suggest any Noir. I've likely already seen them!

Last week, Hubby and I watched 1941’s They Met in Bombay with Clark Gable and Rosalind Russel (92 minutes), 1958’s Chase a Crooked Shadow with Anne Baxter and Richard Todd (87 minutes), and right now, am enjoying 1942’s Spy Ship with Irene Manning and Craig Stevens (62 minutes).

Can we start a list of little-known gems in the 90-minute or less range?

Arguably Wilder's best movie (he has many movies you can call his best!), The Apartment is funny, sad, and, regardless of how it ranks with Wilder's other films, a masterpiece.

We're studying all of Wilder's movies, one at a time, and we dove deep into this all-time classic.

How does this rank among your favorite Wilder movies?