Roberto Rossellini's War Trilogy (Rome, Open City / Paisan / Germany Year Zero) [Box Set] (Blu-ray)

The "Trilogy" in question refers to three milestones of neorealist cinema that made film history, all helmed by Roberto Rossellini within a span of several years: the 1945 ROME, OPEN CITY, the 1946 PAISAN, and the 1948 GERMANY, YEAR ZERO. This special edition, three-disc set from The Criterion Collection presents all of the said films in restored, high-definition digital transfers, with a plethora of bonus supplements that include: introductions to all three titles by Rossellini, shot in 1963; video interviews with experts including Rossellini scholar Adriana Aprà, The Taviani Brothers and a friend of the director, Father Virgilio Fantuzzi; and audio commentary on ROME OPEN CITY by Peter Bondanella. The collection also includes the making-of documentary ONCE UPON A TIME. . . 'ROME OPEN CITY', produced in 2006; excerpts from a little-seen videotaped discussion that Rossellini had with students at Rice University about his filmmaking; Tag Gallagher's visual essay "Into the Future," Carlo Lizzani's 2001 biographical documentary ROBERTO ROSSELLINI, and "Letters from the Front: Carlo Lizzani on Germany, Year Zero," a podium discussion with Lizzani shot at the 1987 Tutto Rossellini event. Finally, the collection also includes a host of bonus essays on Rossellini's life and work by such experts as Thomas Meder, Jonathan Rosenbaum, James Quandt, Irene Bignardi and Colin MacCabe.