I saw this film at the National Gallery of Art knowing little about it. Apparently it has had minimal exposure outside of Italy. This is too bad, because the film is thoroughly engaging. It is based on a true story of a tragic accident in Rome, which was a national sensation at the time. About 200 women line up in the stairwell of a building to interview for a modest typist position. The film introduces the women, and their economic desperation. Then tragedy strikes, as the staircase collapses in a harrowing scene. Most of the film is dedicated to the aftermath. The director interviewed some of the women involved. The film follows the stories of ten women. They are working class people in 1950 Italy. You see their dreams and their struggles. There is some comic relief and melodrama, but the film is always deeply sympathetic to ordinary people in postwar Italy.
Review of Rome 11:00
