One of Rossellini's neo-realistic films, Paisan received an Oscar nomination for its screenplay, co-penned by the young Fellini and others, and centering on the interaction between the Allied Forces and Italian people at the end of WWII.

effectively maintains the rough-hewn, in-the-streets feel of neorealism, and in its best moments it feels like something captured, rather than something produced

Has a passion, unlike a newsreel, that resonates and its authenticity as an important document of history cannot be denied.

Amateurish acting, terrible dubbing and filming errors apart, this is a riveting example of cinéma vérité centered on many cultural differences encountered during the liberation of Italy by the Allied forces, yet although the first three stories are sublime, the last three are not so efficient.

Directed by Roberto Rossellini, "Paisan" is a riveting movie about the liberation of Italy during World War II, told in six unrelated episodes with a focus on ordinary citizens. In the initial installment that starts with the United States Armed Forces landing in Sicily in 1943, we can already see the differences between the liberators and oppressors in the different ways Carmela(Carmela Sazio), a young girl who is worried for her father and brother, is treated. What also becomes clear are the differenes between the Americans and Italians, even as their aims are similar, which are sometimes exacerbated by the language barrier(the movie's title comes from one of the only Italian words an American soldier knows). This becomes especially noticeable in the episode with the three chaplains. With the Germans coming and going as the action moves northwards, it is also clear that Italy is a country rich in history that has been devastated by war, as the new ruins take their place next to old ones.