This movie is not for war buffs, as myself, who seek the action of battles in a war.
It is not of a romantic style as in your Casablanca.
It is about the people who live in Naples and suffering from the ravages from WWII.
The city is occupied by allied countries who are there for job specifics while the Italians must continue living under squalid conditions, trade with the allies or resort to means unethical or unlawful.
The narrative is from a memoir by a British Sergeant who was stationed there for a year beginning in 1943 via DDAY.
He describes these horrors that all the people endure with the hunger, lack of running and fresh water, natural disaster from a nearby volcano and by the Nazis who no longer occupy the city.
Benedict Cumberbatch narrates this movie that seems to fit this story effectively. And the authors thoughts are expressed here in a convincing manner to its viewers.
And although I may reveal what's told is not so much of giving away details as a spoiler. It is the shock of the narrative along with scenes from the movie that paints a true picture as no one's ever seen. Some may wish to have never watched such footage since there is real film included.
And the part about random explosions left me bewildered. I'm not that easily shocked but the carnage caused by Nazis placing mines under buildings on a time delay to be detonated long after the degenerates ran from opposing forces leaves us in a state of sorrow and then disgust to anger.
Especially when the dead are children under tons of rubble. There is more to this cowardly incident which happens more than once.
This is one of the many acts of war in Naples that we are unaware and can maybe fathom what our troops had to suffer as the untold or collateral damage from that war they had to make do and not allow it to harm themselves.
Of course, prostitution is rampant throughout but it's the boldness or the lackthereof to each other where the transaction takes place.
Some could say it's too slow or not enough of the action they like to view. There's action here alright. And if you allow it to take you into this ugly but truthful past, you may have a different outlook towards WWII.
For me, the Nazis will never stop surprising me. Only they can live to think of different ways to end a life and keep a straight face.
