Monday Morning Maybe

Add your email and we'll match picks to the services you stream at home.

Poster for Paisan

Paisan

Seen it?

1946 | 125 min | Drama, War

Sunday Safe Bet

Why it’s a Sunday Safe Bet

Critics loved it (100% on Rotten Tomatoes), though it had soft box office and little lasting buzz. A safe bet when you want something reliable.

Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.

Is it for you?

Who'll love it
Made for history buffs. If you loved Operation Mincemeat or The Guns of Navarone, start here. Critics rate it higher than audiences do, so it rewards patience more than it chases thrills.
The mood
Intense.
The pace
Takes its time with its characters, at 2 hr 5 min.
What might put you off
  • It's in Italian, so expect subtitles (or a dub).
  • Made in 1946: an older pace and style.
  • Audiences were cooler on it than critics.

Six stories unfold in various regions, from Sicily to the northern Po Valley as American military personnel interact with a variety of Italian locals over eighteen months in the push north during the Italian Campaign of WWII as German forces retreat.

How it earned its rating

  • CriticsVery strong

    100% on Rotten Tomatoes

  • AudiencesSolid

    7.5 out of 10

  • AwardsSolid

    Nominated for 1 Oscar.

  • Box office & staying powerBelow par

    $1 million worldwide; still draws a steady audience long after release

  • Buzz & cultural impactBelow par

    About 30K people sought it out in the past year

Trailer

More like this

Want more like this, picked just for you? Get my picks

Cast & crew

Directed by Roberto Rossellini

  • Carmela SazioCarmela
  • Robert Van LoonJoe
  • Benjamin EmanuelAmerican Soldier
  • Raymond CampbellAmerican Soldier
  • Harold WagnerHarry, a German soldier
  • Albert HeinzeGerman soldier
  • Merlin BerthMerlin, American Soldier
  • Mats CarlsonSwede, an American soldier
  • Leonard ParrishAn American soldier
  • Dots JohnsonAmerican MP