Era Notte a Roma
Date1960
Dimensions79 x 165 in. (200.7 x 419.1 cm)
ClassificationsPoster
Credit LinePoster House Permanent Collection
Object numberPH.8202
DescriptionOn May 13, 1960, Era Notte a Roma (Escape by Night) premiered at the Cannes Film Festival where it received a lukewarm response. Directed by Roberto Rossellini, this French/Italian World War II drama follows three escaped Allied prisoners of war as they attempt to flee German and Italian fascists in Rome. The film was released in Italian, English, Russian, and German—languages that reflected the nationalities of the main characters, who are British, American, and Russian.Italian neorealism emerged after the war as Italian filmmakers focused on the experiences of ordinary people living in a country devastated by the conflict. Rossellini explored modern themes of alienation and suffering rather than following the action-packed conventions of such films, and allowed the environment to shape the interactions between the characters. This approach is represented in the design of this billboard; the emphasis on the facial expressions and physical struggles of the main characters contrasts notably with the conspicuous physical and military action more typical of posters for war films.
Italian artist Ercole Brini studied at the Accademia di belle arti di Roma (Academy of Fine Arts of Rome). He was well-known for his posters featuring watercolor portraits that effectively conveyed the emotions of a film’s actors. During the war, Brini became the principal artist for Paramount Studios in Italy and went on to create bold, painterly poster designs for some of the most celebrated films of the 20th century, among them the Italian posters for Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961) and Barefoot in the Park (1967). In this billboard, he depicts the three Allied soldiers in the background and Esperia Belli, a young woman who hides the men in her attic, in the foreground. He based the design on stock images from the film, using his sophisticated watercolor illustrations in blues and greens to evoke the nighttime setting.
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