MASSACRE IN ROME.

Italy/France, 1973, 104 minutes, Colour.
Richard Burton, Marcello Mastroianni, Leo Mc Kern, John Steiner, Robert Harris.
Directed by George Pan Cosmatos.

30 years later, World War II, its battles, its struggles of conscience and its atrocities are still prominent features of our cinema. This Italian film takes a sombre look at the famous massacre of 330 men at Fosse Ardeatine. The film presents itself convincingly: the time pressures, the emotional pressures on Germans and Romans in mid 1944, the conscience and ideology problems, especially of Major Kepler who was in charge of the retaliation killings. Richard Burton gives a moving performance as the convinced militarist who loathes his task, but does it. Marcello Mastroianni is also moving in the unusual role of a Roman priest. A well made grimly historical film.

1. The interest of this film? As a war film, human document, religious overtones?

2. The critics condemned the film as 'poorly written and poorly made'. Were they justified? The Vatican condemned the film for its attitude to the Pope and the Church. Did it condemn it justly?

3. The fact that the film was a tribute to those killed? The quality of the film? That it was based on fact? The final list of those dead? Audience response to this kind of documentary reconstruction?

4. The communication of the war setting: justice and morality in war situations, Italy and the Germans, Rome as an open city, resistance and sabotage, Germany? National hatreds in war?

5. The picture of the Resistance? Audience sympathy directed towards the Resistance? The setting up of the massacre, the killing of the soldiers in the street?

6. General Maelzer and his arrogance? His immediate reaction for reprisals? His giving of orders? Keppler's questioning? The discussions about the number of the reprisals? Orders from Kesselring and from Hitler? Mae1zer as a symbol of German arrogance? Was he a fully developed character?

7. The film's focus on Keppler? His Nazi background, his humanity? His attitude towards orders and administration, even when he disliked his work? His negotiations with Kesselring and Mae1zer? The task of finding the names? Humanity versus duty? The confrontation with Father Antonelli and the change of attitude? Keppler's work with Caruso? The decisions about the names? Keppler's deciding to fire the first shot for morale purposes? The impact of the ending and Father Antonelli's turning round?

8. The character of Antonelli? How credible? His background as a religious priest? His religious attitudes? His friends in the Resistance, his own work in art? His negotiations with his superior? His superior's links with the Vatican? His attitude towards the list? His pleas for mercy? The give and take in his encounter with Keppler? His decision to give his own life?

9. The portrayal of the Roman officials, Caruso and the finding of the names? The criteria for the list? The seeking out of prison names, subversives? The attitude towards the Jews?

10. The presentation of Father Pancrazio and the Pope. The Pope's non-intervention and its reasons? At the time? Now?

11. The final reality of the list? Its necessity, the men lined up for death? The nature of reprisals, politics, war?

12. The place and the setting for death? The firing of the shots? The timing of several hours for the deaths? Audience response to the deaths, the list? The final impact of the film?