Review of Without Pity

Without Pity is an Italian neo-realist movie based on harsh aspects of life in Italy at the end of World War II: poverty, exploitation of women, the power of gangsters, the black market in goods "diverted" from ships and US bases, the indifferent brutality of MPs, and racism in the U. S. military. At the center of the story is the relationship of compassion and love between a black GI (Jerry/John Kitzmiller) and an Italian woman who is being forced into prostitution (Angela/Carla del Poggio). It is set in and near Livorno, and Lattuada effectively uses the location with its port, train lines, sea pines, and desolate coastal roads-a beautiful place disfigured by war and the presence of U. S. bases and endless truck traffic. (Possible spoiler: For film buffs: check out how Dino Risi, directing Il Sorpasso, returned to a key landscape of Without Pity....) Three inconsistent elements give the movie a strange structure of feeling: the cautious and delicate treatment of the romantic relationship, a melodramatic plot and tone, and Lattuada's characteristic distance and coldness towards his characters. What a contrast between Lattuada's coldness and De Sica's warmth and sentimentality when the two great directors confront the hardships of the era! Distance is shown toward all the characters in Without Pity, but especially Jerry, who is constructed as doubly "other" -American and Black. His pidgin Italian makes his thoughts and motivations seem opaque and hard to express. Meanwhile, Giulietta Masina steals the show in the supporting role of Marcella, anticipating her brilliant work in Nights of Cabiria and lighting up the screen in every one of her scenes. Her performance is so vivid and lively, I wish Lattuada had cast her as Angela.

Not everyone will like this movie, but if you have any interest in Italian film in the post-war period or the portrayal of race in cinema, it is worth a look.