Paisan

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Paisan

1948,

2h 14m,

War/

Drama

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100%

13 Reviews

Tomatometer

86%

1,000+ Ratings

Popcornmeter

100%

Tomatometer

13 Reviews

86%

Popcornmeter

1,000+ Ratings

Roberto Rossellini's film, made in the aftermath of WWII, consists of six distinct chapters, showing various relationships between the American occupiers and the newly liberated Italians. Two of the outstanding episodes see black military policeman Dotts Johnson robbed of his shoes by a cheeky street urchin while the film ends with a reminder that the war was still not won, as German troops prefer to fight a battle to the death.

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Daniel Barnes

Dare Daniel

Jan 28, 2026

3.5/5

Rather than simple tales of heroes at war, Rossellini offers bitterness-tinged stories of tenuous brotherhood forged along the Allied path to victory.

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Nell Dodson Russell

Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder

Jan 15, 2022

Hollywood still has to grow up.... We've been too safe, too smug, too secure. European films reflect the suffering, the stark realism, the appreciation of human values that two wars in a generation have brought.

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Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

Nov 3, 2021

3.5/4

More ambitious in its structure than Rome, Open City.

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Yasser Medina

Cinefilia

Aug 15, 2021

7/10

Its collection of episodes on the aftermath of war is rather sober when Rossellini portrays hell on earth and the price of dehumanization with gritty and stark realism. [Full review in Spanish]

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Emanuel Levy

EmanuelLevy.Com

Feb 13, 2011

A-

One of Rossellini's neo-realistic films, Paisan received an Oscar nomination for its screenplay, co-penned by the young Fellini and others, and centering on the interaction between the Allied Forces and Italian people at the end of WWII.

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Fernando F. Croce

CinePassion

Jul 16, 2010

Chillingly blunt, doggedly unsentimental, emotionally overwhelming

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George R

Mar 18, 2017

There's a conflict of idea and execution, the former being it's strength, the latter it's weakness. It's episodic, which is perhaps the best expression of any war. Just as I get caught up in one story, it drifts away to another. This is sometimes frustrating, yet satisfying in other ways. I was interested in what would happen to the Protestant and Jew at the monastery, but it leaves with their Italian-speaking Catholic leader having some nice words to say about the people that took them in. At it's core is the theme of communication and language barriers, which is a far more interesting point to highlight than the usual battle mission fare. The dubbing was pretty bad and it often has that Godzilla effect. The filmmaking was not always strong, and often became boring to look at it, despite the circumstances being interesting.

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Leia P

Jan 16, 2017

That's one of the best movies I have ever watched in my entire life. No doubt about it.

Draco S

Jan 2, 2017

A series of short stories, all concerning the Allied invasion of Italy during the second world war. Some are quite interesting but none really develop into something solid.

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Synopsis

Roberto Rossellini's film, made in the aftermath of WWII, consists of six distinct chapters, showing various relationships between the American occupiers and the newly liberated Italians. Two of the outstanding episodes see black military policeman Dotts Johnson robbed of his shoes by a cheeky street urchin while the film ends with a reminder that the war was still not won, as German troops prefer to fight a battle to the death.

Director: Roberto Rossellini
Distributor: Arthur Mayer & Joseph Burstyn Inc.
Production Co: Organizzazione Film Internazionali (OFI)
Genre: War, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Mar 29, 1948, Original
Release Date (DVD): Jul 11, 2017
Runtime: 2h 14m

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