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United Kingdom released, PAL/Region 0 DVD: LANGUAGES: Italian ( Dolby Digital 2.0 ), English ( Subtitles ), SPECIAL FEATURES: Black & White, Box Set, Interactive Menu, Multi-DVD Set, Scene Access, SYNOPSIS: Rome, Open City: Roberto Rossellini's startling depiction of Nazi-occupied World War II Rome, and one of the most prominent examples of his neorealist cinematic style, is the story of a tenaciously held underground resistance against the Germans. When its leader, Manfredi (Marcello Pagliero), and a priest, Don Pietro (Aldo Fabrizi), are captured, the resistance collapses, with disastrous personal results to all. The film was nominated for an Oscar for Best Screenplay; Fellini collaborated with Rossellini in the writing of the script. 'Open City' is all the more remarkable in that it was made immediately following the liberation of Rome, had been developed while Rossellini himself was in hiding, and was filmed in the locations where the true events that the story are based on occurred. (Dir. Roberto Rossellini, 1945) The Bicycle Thieves: After nearly two years of unemployment, Antonio (Lamberto Maggiorani) finally finds work posting bills. But he needs a bicycle to do the job. Unfortunately, he was forced to pawn his own bicycle long ago. In a humbling, tragic scene, Antonio exchanges his family's linen for his bicycle. But when the bike is stolen on his first day of work, he must comb the streets of Rome in search of the bike: his family's only means to survival. Shot on location in Rome, and using non-actors as a means of heightening the reality of the film, Ladri Di Biciclette received the Honorary Award for Best Foreign Film at the 1950 Oscars. (Dir. Vittorio De Sica,...The Neo-Realist Collection - 5-DVD Box Set ( Roma, città aperta / Miracolo a Milano / Ladri di biciclette / Umberto D. / I vitelloni ) ( Rome, Open City / Miracle in Milan / The Bicycle Thieves / Umberto D / The Young and the Passionate )
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20 of 21 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
I am guilty of being an admirer of Italian cinema in general and its neo-realist period in particular so I hope I do not sound too biased. This boxset offers 5 of the best neo-realist films ever: Vittorio de Sica's BICYCLE THIEF rated the best film ever made at a 1960 vote by film directors, actors and other members of the film community; Vittorio de Sica's MIRACLE IN MILAN, a "surreal" example of neo-realism; de Sica's UMBERTO D, his own favourite film with the central character reportedly based on his father, a truly universal message about the pitfalls and oblivion of old age; Rosselini's ROME, OPEN CITY, a sublime film dealing with the end of the German presence in Italy at the end o World War II; and Fellini's best film, I VITELLONI, perhaps my favourite in the whole lot. At this price you could not do much better...
17 of 18 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
Around 50% of the dialogue is not subtitled bizarrely, as though the translator could only speak a bit of Italian. This is very frustrating for me, since I'm writing an essay on the Bicycle Thieves, and need all possible detail. The films have skipped a couple of times too, but with no scratches on the disk. Basically the transfer onto dvd was a piss poor attempt.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
Having been fortunate enough to find this when the asking price had temporarily dropped below £10, I was very pleased to acquire a boxset containing five films, each of which has received significant amounts of praise from one quarter or another.
Vittorio De Sica dominates this set, with three of the five films and, indeed, it is a necessity that any prospective cinephile should become acquainted with his work. Bicycle Thieves and Umberto D. are perhaps most representative of the Italian neorealistic movement with their use of non-professional actors, natural lighting and stories based very heavily on real life in 1940s/50s Italy. Both are top class. The third of his films here, Miracle in Milan, is somewhat different as it meshes harsh reality with fantastic elements, to create what has been called a "neorealist fable". Personally, I enjoyed it less, but it did receive the Grand Prix at Cannes in its day and is probably worth watching for the iconic final scene alone. De Sica was a master and these are three of his most feted works, the two major others being Shoeshine (available from Masters of Cinema) and the Garden of the Finzi-Continis (yet to find a good copy).
Fellini's I Vitelloni was cited by Kubrick as one of his favourite films and it is easy to see why. A relatively simple tale of the dynamics of a group of friends growing up in post-war Italy, with various trials and tribulations, is nonetheless enthralling and a good introduction to the director, whose later films (8 1/2, La Dolce Vita etc.) can be less accessible.
Finally, there is the ultimate classical neorealist film - Rome, Open City. This is to Italian neorealism what Breathless is to the French new-wave or Nosferatu is to German expressionism. It is, as such, a shame that the greatness of this movie is obscured by a poor DVD transfer (the American, censored version) with subtitles definitely lacking, making the film more difficult to follow than it should be. I found this despite having a basic knowledge of Italian which allowed me to understand some of what the subtitles were omitting... Despite these flaws, it is still clearly a well-made film and the great scenes in particular do not lose much of their power.
All things considered, I would recommend this as these are five worthwhile cinematic experiences which are a rarity in that they are both critically acclaimed, well-made films and very easy to watch. A good introduction to a very important phase of film history, particularly whilst so many of the Rosselini films (Paisan, Europa '51 etc.) are so scarcely/expensively available in the UK.
Vittorio De Sica dominates this set, with three of the five films and, indeed, it is a necessity that any prospective cinephile should become acquainted with his work. Bicycle Thieves and Umberto D. are perhaps most representative of the Italian neorealistic movement with their use of non-professional actors, natural lighting and stories based very heavily on real life in 1940s/50s Italy. Both are top class. The third of his films here, Miracle in Milan, is somewhat different as it meshes harsh reality with fantastic elements, to create what has been called a "neorealist fable". Personally, I enjoyed it less, but it did receive the Grand Prix at Cannes in its day and is probably worth watching for the iconic final scene alone. De Sica was a master and these are three of his most feted works, the two major others being Shoeshine (available from Masters of Cinema) and the Garden of the Finzi-Continis (yet to find a good copy).
Fellini's I Vitelloni was cited by Kubrick as one of his favourite films and it is easy to see why. A relatively simple tale of the dynamics of a group of friends growing up in post-war Italy, with various trials and tribulations, is nonetheless enthralling and a good introduction to the director, whose later films (8 1/2, La Dolce Vita etc.) can be less accessible.
Finally, there is the ultimate classical neorealist film - Rome, Open City. This is to Italian neorealism what Breathless is to the French new-wave or Nosferatu is to German expressionism. It is, as such, a shame that the greatness of this movie is obscured by a poor DVD transfer (the American, censored version) with subtitles definitely lacking, making the film more difficult to follow than it should be. I found this despite having a basic knowledge of Italian which allowed me to understand some of what the subtitles were omitting... Despite these flaws, it is still clearly a well-made film and the great scenes in particular do not lose much of their power.
All things considered, I would recommend this as these are five worthwhile cinematic experiences which are a rarity in that they are both critically acclaimed, well-made films and very easy to watch. A good introduction to a very important phase of film history, particularly whilst so many of the Rosselini films (Paisan, Europa '51 etc.) are so scarcely/expensively available in the UK.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
review of neorealist DVD collection
I've only watched two of the films so far (Ladri di Biciclette and Umberto D). Ladri di Biciclette stuck townards the end (had to eject and start all over again - the image simply... Read more
Published on 12 May 2010 by Ms. A. C. Leech
neorealism
watch out! Roma Open City disk SKIPS and you must play the last chapters one by one, my player is fine and the disk is immaculate...maybe this is the reason of the price??? Read more
Published on 3 April 2010 by 291b4aoddf5a
Wrong set title
How can one even think of calling 'The neo realist collection' a set that contains only two (3three with a push) neo-realist films? Read more
Published on 31 Dec 2008 by Roberto56
Five Classics
All five of these films are classics of post-war Italian cinema. These are must-see films for any students of neo-realism. Read more
Published on 30 Nov 2007 by M. R. Tomlinson
Five Masterpieces that every cinema fan should own!
If you have the remotest interest in powerful character driven cinema and a mindset which is open to other cultures, in this boxset you will find five of the most enthralling... Read more
Published on 14 Jan 2007 by G. Anderson
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