This film concerns events during the Nazi occupation of Rome in 1943-44. Shooting started only weeks after Rome's liberation in June 1944. The film is shot mostly on location, with many roles played by non-actors (though the leading roles are taken by professionals). How does Open City reflect these circumstances of its production, which in turn are very much those of its plot?
This film is generally cited as one of the first films to define the style of Italian "neorealism," which in turn had an enormous influence on all subsequent filmmaking around the world. Consider the aspects of Open City that are unimaginable in filmmaking before World War II: the gritty, documentary feel of the film, the emphasis on scenes from everyday life, the on-location shooting in poor or war-ravaged neighborhoods, the rejection of a well-rounded plot in favor of a contemplation of character and situation, the unrelieved bleakness of the ending.
Consider the ways in which, nonetheless, Open City does conform to some of the conventions of sentimental melodrama. How do we balance the film's noteworthy innovations against its more traditional aspects?