The reason why Rossellini's films have not appealed to me much is perhaps best exemplified by General Della Rovere. It is a languidly paced, deeply flawed film. The opening of the film is monstrously overlong, taking a full hour to set the conman background for our main character when any other sensible film would have done so in 15 minutes. Rossellini also has a tendency to overindulge in his trademark Neorealist scenes, with many shots of ordinary Italians in the gritty streets of wartime Italy, but these scenes are entirely unnecessary and do not contribute at all to plot, character, or even atmosphere. The plot also has many other deficiencies. If essentially tells the tale of a command transformation to become a resistance hero, but the truth is that he never really does. De Sicas conman shows no act of bravery or no viable change of heart- all events, from his being tortured to his execution are thrust upon him, imposed on him. The film also lacks urgency and pace, and what remains is a dialogue heavy slog. General della rovere contains zero suspense, zero thrills despite its plot outline, nor does it contain much drama. It is a great disappointment.
Review of General Della Rovere
