Rome, Open City, Rossellini's classic film, opened in 1945. It is a landmark in modern cinema. Made in the final months of the Second World War using film stock acquired through the black market, its distinctively new subject matter and aesthetic form may be seen as reflecting the birth of a new phase in world society. For the end of the war marked the disintegration of the old imperial powers and the rise of a different world order shaped not just by the Cold War but by a resurgence of popular democratic movements across Asia, Africa, Europe and the New World.

The impact of Rossellini's film derives from its moving portrayal of Italian resistance to German occupation. He locates humanity among the people of Rome – Pina, Francesco and Don Pietro, who are organised with others against the cruelty and barbarism which Fascism, war and invasion has brought about. Moreover, Rossellini seeks to express his vision of society through the very form of the film. He innovates with established cinematic techniques. Rome, Open City is notable for its documentary aesthetic; Rossellini's use of the city itself as integral to the revelation of character and development of the narrative; his employment of non-professional actors; his commitment to realistic dialogue and the details of everyday life. Evoking through the use of such devices an open, collective and humane world, Rossellini contrasts with it a static and artificially constructed studio world of dark, closed interiors where brutality lurks.