Night of the Shooting Stars Review

The bond between father and son made a great impact of the film. The realistic shots of the fighting and the war was pretty good. There was a lot of killing which is expected. When the young boy died it was sad but predictable. The father was a "Gabadots" throughout the film. He intised his son to be involved in the same shit he was which was uncalled for due to his age and nature.

The movie basically thrived under the Germans aggressiveness throughout the film. The Italians were simply no match for them. They were running and hiding almost the entire film. From woods, to churches, to the middle of the street. And everywhere they went the Germans followed and blew everything to pieces. This was a little fake it seemed and the Germans seemed almost too filled with hate and anger that it almost didnt seem to have a motive?  Maybe this is just what I think.

Bicycle Thief Review

     The re-occuring theme here in most Italian cinema is the good sided nature that Italians bring to the silver screen. They are romantically known for their compassion and painstaking love they have towards another family memeber or dear friend. Although this film is not a romance film, it reflect on that light in all the right places. I agree the movie could be a bit of a bore and depressing but the black and white film doesn't do it any justice. I think that this poor father and husband is doing everything he can to welcome his family into the world, his wife is very patient but still over consumed with everyday frsuteration. the bike also plays as a wonderful symbol or acting devise on screen, the amount of sacrafise and desperation all put into this one tool to be the deciding factor wheather this family will make it or crack is amazing on film.

Rome Open City Review

   Don Pietro is a Priest who also sides with the rebels. He excepts the fact that he must assist these violent and brutal men but knows morally that his heart lies with God and noone else. Don Pietro stands for the two sided man and the two sides every man can take with his own life, good and evil. Pina is the wife of Marcello and fiancee of Francesco. She is depicted as a strong woman, who desires the comfort of a man and father. This to me is somewhat obscured because she truley disires exactly what she claims she doesnt want, to be tied down. It is sad that she dies at the end of the film but the true grusome ending adds the the over all dramatic and twisted depth that this dark movie has. What Don Pietro meant when he said "It's not hard to die well, it's hard to live well." was that life is truley what you make it. Your daily struggles in the big picture are only fragments of what life is all about, if you allow this dim outlook to ruin your time here on earth then dying cowardly isnt much of a great option either.