Rossellini's Early Films


Rossellini received some recognition within film circles for his early documentary experiments, and in 1938, was called to assist in directing Luciano Serra, pilota with director Goffedo Alessandrini. With his foot in the door, Rossellini was then called on to assist Francesco De Robertis on Uomini sul Fondo (1940), a film about and sponsored by the Italian Navy. However, the things that probably helped the struggling young director the most were his intimate relationship with Vittorio Mussolini, the dictator's son, and his exploitation of the contacts made during his youth when he spent his days in his father’s theater.

Rossellini’s work with De Robertis prepared him for his first feature film, La Nave Bianca (1941) which was sponsored by the Centro Cinematografico del Ministero della Marina . An interesting feature of Rossellini’s films was that he seemed to film his movies in cycles, or trilogies, which concentrated on one particular theme. The first of these cycles was the Fascist Trilogy, three films that Rossellini made from 1941 to 1943 under the supervision of Vittorio Mussolini to celebrate the heros of the war and their sacrifices.

The Cinema Under Mussolini

The Fascist Trilogy (1941 - 1944)