Massacre in Rome (1973)

Original title

Rappresaglia

Directed by

George P. Cosmatos

Genre

war film, docudrama, historical film

Country

France, Italy

Runtime

1h 50m

Rated

16

Rating

6.3 of 10 from 30 voters

Elsewhere

IMDb

How it feels

During World War II in Rome, German forces take hostages and carry out a massacre as a reprisal for a partisan attack. A Gestapo chief and a Vatican priest are caught up in the events.

harrowingsombertensehistoricalgloomyheavyunflinchingbleak

What happens

Massacre in Rome (Italian: Rappresaglia, lit. 'Reprisal') is a 1973 war drama film directed by George Pan Cosmatos, about the Ardeatine massacre which occurred at the Ardeatine caves in Rome, 24 March 1944, committed by the Germans as a reprisal for a partisan attack against the SS Police Regiment Bozen. The film was based on the 1967 book Death in Rome by Robert Katz, who co-wrote the screenplay with Cosmatos. It stars Richard Burton and as Gestapo chief Herbert Kappler and Marcello Mastroianni as Father Pietro Antonelli, a composite character based on different Vatican officials. The supporting cast features Leo McKern, John Steiner, Anthony Steel, Renzo Montagnani and Delia Boccardo. The film was an Italian-French co-production (shot in English) by Carlo Ponti. The film was met with significant controversy on initial release, over its central claim that Pope Pius XII knew of and did nothing about the execution of Italian hostages by the Germans. A libel suit launched by the late Pope's family saw Ponti, Cosmatos, and Katz given six-month suspended sentences, which were later dropped on appeal. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

Trailer

More like this

• The Train (1973)
• Army of Shadows (1969)
• Wedding in Blood (1973)
• L'Affaire Dominici (1973)
• The Inheritor (1973)
• Without warning (1973)
• Heroes in Hell (1973)
• R.A.S. (1973)