''L'oro di Roma'' (internationally released as ''Gold of Rome'') is a 1961

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, a Romance ethnic group related to or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance languag ...

war War is an armed conflict between the armed forces of states, or between governmental forces and armed groups that are organized under a certain command structure and have the capacity to sustain military operations, or between such organi ...

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. The drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular ...

directed by

Carlo Lizzani Carlo Lizzani (3 April 1922 – 5 October 2013) was an Italian film director, screenwriter and critic. Biography Born in Rome, before World War II Lizzani worked as a scenarist on such films as Roberto Rossellini's '' Germany Year Zero'', ...

. The film is based on actual events surrounding the Nazi's raid of Rome's Jewish ghetto in October 1943.

Plot

After the Italian armistice, the Germans occupy Rome; in October 1943, the German police commander calls the president of the Jewish community before him and orders him to deliver 50 kilograms of gold within two days, otherwise he will take 200 heads of families hostage. The community is divided between those who decide to give in to the blackmail and hand over what little gold they have left and those who do not believe in the Germans' word. The Jews remaining in the ghetto are impoverished by the Italian racial laws and with enormous difficulty try to come up with the imposed amount. The president of the community does what he can to ask for aid, distressed and uncertain that the delivery will really help save lives. A group of boys arms themselves to rebel, headed by young shoemaker David. His decision not to deliver the gold and oppose Nazi power leads him to clash with most members of the community and the precept of refusing violence. Giulia, a former classmate of David's Israelite school, at first appears to be able to escape racial segregation, thanks to her requited love for Maximus, a Catholic medical student. Determined to marry, Julia is baptized, divided in her love for her roots. In fact, when despite the successful delivery of the 50 kilos of gold, the Germans round up Jews all over Rome, taking away men, women, the sick and children, she voluntarily surrenders herself into the hands of the Germans, to follow her father and his people.

Cast

Gérard Blain Gérard Blain (23 October 1930 – 17 December 2000) was a French actor and film director A film director or filmmaker is a person who controls a film's artistic and dramatic aspects and visualizes the screenplay (or script) while gui ...

: Davide *

Anna Maria Ferrero Anna Maria Ferrero (18 February 1935 – 21 May 2018) was an Italian actress. Early life and career Born Anna Maria Guerra, she changed her last name to Ferrero in honor of the composer Willy Ferrero. Her film debut came at the age of 15 in '' ...

: Giulia *

Jean Sorel Jean Bernard Antoine de Chieusses de Combaud de Roquebrune (born 25 September 1934), known professionally as Jean Sorel (), is a French actor. He was a leading man of European cinema during the 1960s and '70s, with a screen persona that often d ...

: Massimo *

Andrea Checchi Andrea Checchi (21 October 1916 – 29 March 1974) was a prolific Italian film actor. Biography Born in Florence, Checchi appeared in over 150 films in his lengthy career, which spanned from 1934 to his death in 1974. The son of a painter, he s ...

: Ortona *

Paola Borboni Paola Borboni (1 January 1900 – 9 April 1995) was an Italian stage and film actress whose career spanned nearly eight decades of cinema. Early life Borboni was born on 1 January 1900 in Parma, Italy. Career Borboni made her stage deb ...

: Rosa *

Umberto Raho Umberto Raho (4 June 1922 – 9 January 2016) was an Italian stage, film and television actor. Life and career Born in Bari, the son of an Italian father and a Bulgarian mother, Raho graduated in philosophy and then, immediately after the war ...

: Beniamino *

Filippo Scelzo Filippo Scelzo (19 April 1900 – 9 October 1980) was an Italian stage, film and television actor. He appeared in more than forty films including '' Red Passport'' in which he played the male lead.Landy, Marcia. ''The Folklore of Consensus: Theatr ...

: Ludovico

References

External links

* 1961 films 1960s war drama films Italian war drama films 1960s Italian-language films World War II films based on actual events Films set in Rome Films directed by Carlo Lizzani Holocaust films Films scored by Giovanni Fusco 1961 drama films Italian World War II films 1960s Italian films Jews and Judaism in Rome Italian-language war drama films {{war-drama-film-stub