Review of Massacre in Rome (1973) by Sgt. C — 29 Jan 2015

(55%).

For those looking for a cheap, sleazy, Italian 70's exploitation movie then look elsewhere, because this, despite it being both Italian and made in the 1970's with the word massacre in its title, really isn't anything that could be even considered among that genre in any shape or form. Instead it's a very talky, very drawn out drama documenting a terrible Nazi atrocity towards random civilians of Rome at the end of the second world war. I myself knew very little of the terrible things that happened to the people of Rome before seeing this film, so it did enlighten me, which is something you don't often get with many films based on fact or otherwise. And as the film does go into a lot of detail regarding the events leading up to the massacre meaning you do feel that by the end most stones are left turned, and there's not really anything left to say. The film is a bit too slow burn as at times the plot feels like it's really not getting anywhere, but once it does heat up it shows how such an awful real life event could ever be orchestrated using nothing more than cold hearted controlled brutality.