Mindenki haza

An unknown and exceptional war film, which is interesting primarily because of its perspective and depiction of the environment of defeated fascist Italy. The war is captured from the viewpoint of an Italian officer, who experiences disillusionment and the loss of his values upon his return home after the Italian surrender and the dissolution of the regular Italian army. The soldiers of his unit disperse, leaving only a few men heading in the same direction. The screenwriter embodies certain experiences typical of that time in their characters. Despite the chosen lighter tone of storytelling, it is essentially a tragic anti-war film, where practically all the main characters gradually perish, with the exception of the main protagonist, who is, however, very close to it during the final clash in the chaos of war when we leave him. The film is shot with an ethos typical of post-war Italy and France, explaining the political situation of the time from the perspective of the victorious anti-fascist coalition, and glossing over certain unpleasant aspects of the reality of the time. The screenplay therefore employs some simplifying techniques, such as the scene of the Jewish woman being discovered by German soldiers, which is not credible. If the screenwriter were honest, he would have let the passengers on the bus expose her for her share of the loot hidden in the trunk. The revelation of an American prisoner hidden with an anti-fascist family would naturally not just lead to the execution of the man as the head of the family but to the annihilation of the whole family, and especially the brutal rape of the wife, which incidentally was commonly committed by both fighting sides. It is highly probable that a high-ranking Italian officer would not immediately join the partisan resistance organization controlled by the Communists after the Italian surrender... I could go on. Despite the mentioned minor screenwriting flaws, it is an excellent war film that has a great cast and performances. Overall impression: 80%. (2008.07.10)