There are artists that I admire very much. Even under all circumstances, they are willing to do what they think is necessary and more necessary than what they say from above. One of these freelance artists was Roberto Rossellini. Even during the dictatorship of the Duce, under the threat of his own life, he filmed fighters of resistance to the fascist dictatorship.
The Pilot Returns was Rossellini’s second full-length film. And at first glance, the tape of pure propaganda. The main character is a courageous and persistent pilot of the Italian Air Force, who is captured by a malicious enemy. But the film is not like the usual propaganda tapes, even if it is a government order (by the way, one of the authors of the script was Michelangelo Antonioni). The film is still anti-war, although this topic is somewhat veiled. For example, the main character at the end of the film returns in an English plane (under fire from Italian shooters), and the last phrase in the film “Greece has laid down its arms, at 10 am the fire stops.”
Rossellini’s handwriting is highly recognizable here. Staged footage, set under a documentary, full of tragedy image of ordinary people who became victims of the circumstances. But I would recommend this film only for general development. After all, “Pilot Returns” is very, very far from the future masterpieces of the great Italian film director (due to the control over the production of such films in fascist Italy, of course).
5 out of 10