The Man with the Cross

AnextremelyrarefilmbyRobertoRossellini,histhirdfeature,madeundertheFascistcontrolofItaly.BasicallyrejectedaftertheWarbecauseoftheFascistcontentofthefilm,&quot;RosselliniproducesaworkwhichfocusesupontheItalianexpeditionaryforcesontheEasternFrontanduponaCatholicchaplainrepresentativeofItaly'sreligiousmajority…theprincipalcharacter'shumanityandsacrificeseemtoprefigurethegood-naturedpriestofRome,OpenCitywhoworkswithleftistResistanceleaders…RosselliniunderlinesthecommonhumanityinFascistandBolshevikalike&quot;(PeterBonadella,ItalianCinemafromNeo-RealismtoPresent).<br/>　　Madeduringthefascistyears,thisisparexcellenceapropagandamovie.RobertoRossellini'sworkissometimespreachy,mainlyinthethirdpart,whenhisherotriestoconvince-andsucceeds-theRussiansthatheisnosorcererandthatGodloveseveryoneprovidedthatheredeemshissoulandcomesbackontherightway.ThefinalrecallsJesus'sdeathonthecross,theconvertedmanplayingthethegoodthief'spart.Besides,everybodyspeaksItalianandthatdoesnothelpthecredibilityofthesituations.<br/>　　ButRossellini'sgenius-whichwouldblossomissuchworksas&quot;Europa51&quot;&quot;Romacitaaperta&quot;or&quot;Germanoannozero&quot;occasionallysurfaces:exceptfortheopeningscenes-oneofthefirstpicturesshowsdoves-,theworlddepictedin&quot;uomodellacroce&quot;isanapocalypticone,wekeephearingshotsduringalmostthewholemovie:overwhelmingsequencesdisplayalittleboyscreaming,awomanhavingherbabyasamanisdyingnearher,while,outside,man'smadnessknowsnobounds.<br/>　　ManwithaCrosswasoriginallyreleasedinItalyasL'UomodellaCroce.Evidently,RobertoRosselinihadsomedifficultyconcentratingonthisone.Hedirectedthefilmatthebehestofthefascistgovernment,atatimewhenhisthoughtswereprobablyfocussedonhislong-anticipated(andnever-finished)Desiderio.ThereligiousaspectsoftheplotlinetendtobesubordinatetotheMussolinipartyline.ManwithaCrosscontainsnexttononeoftheneorealismofRossellini'slaterworks