This Rappresaglia(1973) deals with he Ardeatine massacre, or Fosse Ardeatine massacre (Italian: Eccidio delle Fosse Ardeatine), it was a mass killing of 335 civilians and political prisoners carried out in Rome on 24 March 1944 by German occupation troops during the Second World War as a reprisal for the Via Rasella attack in central Rome against the SS Police Regiment Bozen the previous day. The story of a resistance action that provoked a 10-for-one reprisal on the part of the nazis . A partisan attack takes place at a Roman street , and following the attack by the partisan group Lt. Col. Herbert Kappler (Richard Burton) is assigned by Hitler himself to carry out a relentless vengeance , but a kind priest (Marcello Mastroianni) opposing this criminal revenge . A savage act of reprisal - who was to blame? Hitler ordered it. The Vatican wouldn't stop it. The world will never forgive it. Who Wouldn't Stop It? 330 Cold Blooded Executions! It happened once...it could happen again! How Many? .
The picture is a little heavy and overlong , but it does have its moments of truth , particularly towards the final . Interpretations are uniformly decent , as Richard Burton as the Nazi commander officer who must execute hundreds of Roman citizens in retaliation for the death of Nazi soldiers and Marcello Mastroianni as the priest opposing the Nazi colonel and attempting to prevent the massacre . Support cast resulting to be pretty good with notorious British and Italian actors , such as : Leo Mckern overacting as the senior Nazi officer, former Brit matinee idol Anthony Steel in a minor character , John Steiner , Robert Harris , Peter Vaughn , Anthony Dawson , and Latin actors as Renzo Montagnani , Giancarlo Prete or Timothy Brent , Renzo Palmer , Duilio Del Prete , Marino Masé and Delia Boccardo. The motion picture was professionally directed by George Pan Cosmatos . He was a craftsman director who got a great success with ¨Tombstone¨and ¨Cassandra crossing¨ and flops as ¨Shadow conspiracy¨, ¨Leviatahan¨, ¨Escape to Athena¨ . ¨Massacre in Rome¨ rating : 6/10 . This wartime will appeal to WWII enthusiasts and Richard Burton/Marcelo Mastroianni fans.
