Germany Year Zero
Director: Roberto Rossellini
Year Released: 1947
Rating: 3.0
Piercing look at unpleasant post-War Germany, in pieces and trying to reassemble itself from scratch, and in particular a little boy who takes it upon himself to provide for his family. Although it is unspeakably grim - and contains a sensational (albeit expected) ending - it is also sadly true, with petty thieves and hustlers roaming the streets along with American soldiers and German girls trying to pilfer cigarettes from them. The use of nonprofessionals and blown out buildings for sets is eerie and compelling; the boy who has to mingle with miscreants and grow up too quickly is largely a symbolic figure - that of innocence corrupted.
