Afouotos
Although it has its amusing moments, in eneral the plot does not convince.
SpunkySelfTwitter
It’s an especially fun movie from a director and cast who are clearly having a good time allowing themselves to let loose.
Humaira Grant
It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.
cocomariev
Robert Rossellini series of short stories will have you at the edge of your seat. From romance to action, each story vividly portrays the Italian Neo-realist style. Paisan touches base on documentary, society and politics. I think that Rossellini did great job at hiring non- professional actors in order to incorporate them within the backdrop of the scenes. The storyline was also very detailed and made it seem like it was more of a documentary than an actual fictional film. The movie had me guessing at some points which kept me interested throughout the film. I noticed that Rossellini left room for us to fill in the story, letting us take on our own interpretation on things. For example, in each of the stories we don't really know much about the protagonist and I found myself creating their backgrounds in my mind. He did a wonderful job at inspiring emotion whether it be positive or negative. I have to admit that before I watched this film in class I was a bit skeptical. I definitely think that it portrays great characteristics of of neo- realism. One of the scenes that I thought was really interesting was when the baby is alone with no one to comfort or take care of him/her. It made me extremely sad but did a great job at illustrating the nature of war. He did a great job at illustrating Italy during World War II. I thought he provided several elements for us to choose from, giving us something to relate to and become emotionally attached to. Rossellini did a fantastic job at creating and directing a film that seemed extremely real. He blurred the lines between documentary and fiction beautifully. Now I see why he was very respected for his films.
jrmontalvo3
Paisa, which is a greatly directed piece of work by Roberto Rossellini, this movie, is an interesting tell of a war movie, in this war movie however it shows six different films, all of which doing with a total different character and also dealing with a different part of the war. Each one of these stories has a true meaning to it, because a lot of this actually happens in the war, such as the little boy who is alone in Napoli, the woman who falls in love with the GI, but ends up turning into a not so nice woman. Also the story based in Florence based on true events that actually happen, the British officer that talks with the German troops that are destroying all in their way, the execution of the fascist sniper, and even that part where people are running down the Gallery of Uffizi. The last episode though was the most intense, and horrifying episode, because unlike the others that you felt were real, it wasn't until this episode that you could feel the fear that the people had of death, the smell horrifying images of deaths, and even the true brings out all the true feelings that many don't understand of what war is like or how it affects not only the person in the war, but everyone they know and care for. This movie was a great War movie, a must see. It has the feelings of war, the feelings of what it is like to come back from war and even brings in a little bit of romance to tie it all together.
Joshua Weatherl
In terms of a historical film, Paisà encapsulates the war time experiences of many men, while maintaining a palpable "realness" that translates well to the world of film. A three part film (containing 6 chapters), Paisà is amazing in content, context and composition, with each element within the film taking a powerful role to make the film whit it is. In terms of narrative, the film can be difficult to follow at times, but not so much that the viewer ever feels lost within the story. It does not focus on one person, but, rather, seeks to show the experiences of many throughout parts of the war. The film aesthetic is gritty, and realistic, often allowing the camera to linger in spots that would make a grown man cringe. The composition breaks some traditional film aesthetics, following a documentary format, adding to the "real" feel of the filmAll-in-all, Paisà is a classic.
Emilyjkwin
Paisan is an Italian Neo-Realist film presented as six episodes, each distinct from one another. Although the plot is not weaved through the six episodes, nor do characters pass from one to the next, the early concept of this film likely inspired the idea for film's which use this technique. Paisan is very real, shot on location, and as several Italian neo-realist film's were, shot in the ongoing action of the war. As such, some of the dialog is dubbed over in post-production, but the idea is still there. If you can accept the roughness, or perhaps embrace it, the film has something to offer for every part of the audience. Some of the episodes of the film are comedic, while some are more romantic. The first is hard to follow at the start, but as the trust and friendship between the American soldier and the native girl grow, the world presented in Paisan opens up. Rosselini uses some non-professional actors, and a semi-documentary style to depict the lives of the Italian people fighting against fascism. While most of the episodes end bittersweetly, or sadly, the stories themselves are captivating. In one episode a boy steals a soldier's boots while he is sleeping, however it is later seen that the boots were much more valuable to the boy than the soldier in the misfortune that surrounds the local people. The film is great as an aid to understanding the condition of Italy during World War II. At times the plots in each episode may take a while to develop, but if you can keep your attention on the film you won't regret it. The events in the film are realistic, but melancholy, and because the episodes are brief, the actions are frank. Most of the film's audience can find things to relate to, or will find at least one episode of the film to be fairly entertaining.
