La Macchina Ammazzacattivi
The third (and least known) film in our Italian Neo-Realism season follows a man who is given a special power which he quickly begins to use, and abuse. Rossellini’s highly stylised satire is a morality tale that marks a transition in the filmmaker’s career.
A photographer in a small fishing village is visited by a man who claims to be Saint Andrea. The Saint gives him a special camera device to solve the village's ills - by taking a photograph of an existing picture, the photo subject dies. Initially sure of his good intentions, he aims the weapon at human injustice, but discovers in the process that good and evil are intertwined. Inspired by the commedia dell’arte, complete with political allusions and a strong moral message, the film was initially abandoned by Rossellini in 1948, only to be completed four years later. (Subtitles)
Italy 1952 Roberto Rossellini 83m
