General Della Rovere

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General Della Rovere

Released Nov 21, 1960

2h 19m

Drama

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90%

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10 Reviews

87%

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250+ Ratings

Grimaldi (Vittorio De Sica), a small-time criminal, impersonates an Italian military officer for personal gain, but his charade ends when he is arrested by the Nazis. His captors strike a deal with him: He must pretend to be General della Rovere, a recently assassinated resistance leader, so that he can get information that the Gestapo can use to its advantage. While Grimaldi initially goes along with the scheme, he gradually has a change of heart and embraces a more selfless perspective.

Keith Uhlich

Time Out

[T]his Golden Lion-winning feature-one of [Roberto] Rossellini's few popular successes-is more than a mere curiosity.

Rated: 4/6

Jul 25, 2020

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Mark Bourne

Film.com

Although the film's second half tends to drift toward the stagy and sermonic, Bardone's transformation from a petty chameleon-charlatan to the moral hero and man of conscience is moving and potent, in no small way thanks to De Sica's carefully modulated p

May 20, 2009

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Fernando F. Croce

Slant Magazine

A fascinating crossroads in Rossellini's career.

Rated: 3.5/4

Mar 30, 2009

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Penelope Gilliatt

Observer (UK)

[General Della Rovere] is beautifully organised. The double-crosses change shape like a cat's-cradle, and pull out finally with one swift tug. The failure in the film is simply that it is very dully acted and made.

Mar 6, 2024

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Nicholas Bell

IONCINEMA.com

At the center of General Della Rovere is an arresting performance from director Vittorio De Sica in a rare dramatic portrayal in front of the camera.

Rated: 3.5/5

Nov 12, 2020

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Eve Tushnet

Patheos

[Giovanna Ralli's] actressy in a way that really works for this story of the mask sinking into the skin.

Feb 8, 2019

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lanfranco c

How a little cheater becomes an hero

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

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Audience Member

A great and stirring tale of heroism, sacrifice and patriotism.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/11/19

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paul d

A powerful and dramatic story about one poor man that relates volumes about individual psychology, political repression, and war.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

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Audience Member

As usual with Italian 1950s-60s films, this isn't a barrel of laughs, but it is very powerful and intelligent. De Sica brilliantly plays a likeable chancer who becomes embroiled in the seriousness of his surroundings when 'asked' by the Germans to impersonate the accidentally-executed General della Rovere He soon lives out the part so well, he becomes as much of a General as the General was. At 2hrs 12m, this isn't a short film, and I felt it sagged a little in the middle after a great start, but the ending made up for it. An easy 8/10.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/25/23

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Audience Member

Vittorio De Sica gives one of his best performances in Roberto Rossellini's WWI film.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

02/27/23

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Audience Member

El general de la Rovere [1959]

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

01/30/23

Full Review

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Roberto Rossellini

Director

Vittorio De Sica

Victorio Emanuele Bardone

Hannes Messemer

S.S. Colonel Mueller

Sandra Milo

Valeria

Vittorio Caprioli

Aristide Bianchelli

Guiseppe Rossetti

Pietro Valeri

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Synopsis

Grimaldi (Vittorio De Sica), a small-time criminal, impersonates an Italian military officer for personal gain, but his charade ends when he is arrested by the Nazis. His captors strike a deal with him: He must pretend to be General della Rovere, a recently assassinated resistance leader, so that he can get information that the Gestapo can use to its advantage. While Grimaldi initially goes along with the scheme, he gradually has a change of heart and embraces a more selfless perspective.

Director: Roberto Rossellini
Producer: Morris Ergas
Distributor: Continental Distributing Inc.
Genre: Drama
Original Language: Italian
Release Date (Theaters): Nov 21, 1960, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 11, 2017
Runtime: 2h 19m

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