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General Della Rovere

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90% Tomatometer 10 Reviews 87% Popcornmeter 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.

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General Della Rovere

Critics Reviews

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Keith Uhlich Time Out 07/25/2020
4/6
[T]his Golden Lion-winning feature-one of [Roberto] Rossellini's few popular successes-is more than a mere curiosity. Go to Full Review Mark Bourne Film.com 05/20/2009
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 Go to Full Review Fernando F. Croce Slant Magazine 03/30/2009
3.5/4
A fascinating crossroads in Rossellini's career. Go to Full Review Penelope Gilliatt Observer (UK) 03/06/2024
[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. Go to Full Review Nicholas Bell IONCINEMA.com 11/12/2020
3.5/5
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. Go to Full Review Eve Tushnet Patheos 02/08/2019
[Giovanna Ralli's] actressy in a way that really works for this story of the mask sinking into the skin. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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lanfranco c @Lanfrancobz 02/01/2022 How a little cheater becomes an hero See more 01/11/2019 A great and stirring tale of heroism, sacrifice and patriotism. See more paul d @PaulusLoZebra 08/29/2016 A powerful and dramatic story about one poor man that relates volumes about individual psychology, political repression, and war. See more 01/23/2013 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. See more 06/23/2012 Vittorio De Sica gives one of his best performances in Roberto Rossellini's WWI film. See more 08/06/2011 El general de la Rovere [1959] See more Read all reviews
General Della Rovere

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Cast & Crew

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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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General Della Rovere

General Della Rovere (1959) General Della Rovere (1959) View more photos

Movie Info

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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