A Pilot Returns

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