Rome 11:00

Rome 11:00
Rome 11:00
Directed by	Giuseppe De Santis
Written by	Cesare Zavattini; Basilio Franchina; Giuseppe De Santis; Rodolfo Sonego; Gianni Puccini
Starring	Carla Del Poggio; Lucia Bosé; Raf Vallone
Cinematography	Otello Martelli
Edited by	Gabriele Varriale
Music by	Mario Nascimbene
Release date	1952;
Running time	105 minutes
Country	Italy
Language	Italian

Rome 11:00 (Italian: Roma, ore 11), also known as Rome 11 o'clock, is a 1952 Italian neorealist film directed by Giuseppe De Santis. It is based on the real story of an accident that happened on 15 January 1951 on Via Savoia in Rome^[1] when a staircase collapsed because of the weight of two hundred women waiting for a job interview.^[2] One woman was killed and 76 were injured.^[3]

Plot

In response to a newspaper ad seeking a secretary for an accountant's office, two hundred women gather on a small building's staircase, hoping for an interview. They come from diverse backgrounds: fallen nobles, prostitutes seeking to change their lives, wives with unemployed husbands, and affluent daughters with not enough pension to survive.

Waiting on the stairs, the women exchange impressions and discuss their lives of misery and their tricks for making a living. Gianna is first in line, the pawn of a strong-willed mother, while Caterina is a prostitute hoping for a new life. Angelina is a servant, also hoping to escape her situation.^[2] Other characters include a pregnant unwed mother, a young woman who wants to be a singer, and an artist's mistress.^[2]

When a poor workman's wife, Luciana Renzoni, tries to move ahead in the line, the resulting scuffle among the women causes the staircase to collapse.^[2]

The injured are taken to a hospital, but to be treated, the hospital is demanding a payment of 2,300 Lire per day. Many of them are unable to pay and are forced to go home.

Cast

Lucia Bosé, Simona
Carla Del Poggio, Luciana Renzoni
Maria Grazia Francia, Cornelia Riva
Lea Padovani, Caterina
Delia Scala, Angelina
Elena Varzi, Adriana
Raf Vallone, Carlo
Massimo Girotti, Nando
Paolo Stoppa, father of Clara
Armando Francioli, Romoletto
Paola Borboni, Matilde
Irène Galter, Clara
Eva Vanicek, Gianna
Checco Durante, father of Adriana
Alberto Farnese, Augusto
Hélène Vallier, typist
Bianca Beltrami
Cabiria Guadagnino
Teresa Ellati
Maria Pia Trepaoli
Fulvia Trozzi
Donatella Trombadori
Nando Di Claudio
Fausto Guerzoni
Michele Riccardini
Renato Mordenti
Pietro Tordi
Ezio Rossi
Henry Vilbert
Marco Vicario
Mino Argentieri
Anna Maria Zijno (real survivor at via Savoia)
Maria Ammassari (real survivor at via Savoia)
Renata Ciaffi (real survivor at via Savoia)

Reception

New York Times film critic Bosley Crowther called Rome 11:00 a "vivid, raw-boned movie" and "a film of absorbing interest and persistent emotional power." He also praised Carla Del Poggio for her sensitive portrayal of the anguish felt by her character, Luciana Renzoni, after precipitating the tragedy.^[2]

Awards

Nastro d'Argento for Best Music (Mario Nascimbene)

Legacy

In 1956, filmmaker Elio Petri published Roma ore 11, a collection of his interviews with people involved in the tragedy. The documentation originally served as a basis for the film.^[1]^[3] The work was republished in 2004.

References

^ ^a ^b Petri, Elio (2004) [1956]. Roma ore 11. Palermo: Sellerio Editore. ISBN 9788838919275.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Crowther, Bosley (30 April 1953). "Movie Review: Roma Ore 11 (1952)". New York Times. Retrieved 27 March 2016.
^ ^a ^b "Rome 11 hours". Sellerio Editore. Retrieved 27 March 2016.

External links

Rome ore 11 at IMDb

[petri-1] Petri, Elio (2004) [1956]. Roma ore 11. Palermo: Sellerio Editore. ISBN 9788838919275.

[Bosley-2] Crowther, Bosley (30 April 1953). "Movie Review: Roma Ore 11 (1952)". New York Times. Retrieved 27 March 2016.

[sellerio-3] "Rome 11 hours". Sellerio Editore. Retrieved 27 March 2016.

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