Rome, Open City Budget

What is the budget of Rome, Open City?

"Rome, Open City," a drama released in 1945, was directed by Roberto Rossellini and stars Aldo Fabrizi, Marcello Pagliero. The production budget was $20,000, placing it in the micro-budget range for drama productions of the 1940s.

Key Budget Allocation Categories

While specific budget breakdowns are not publicly available, typical cost drivers for a drama production like this include:

• Above-the-Line Talent: Drama films live or die on the strength of their performances.
• Location Filming & Period Production Design: Authentic locations , whether contemporary or historical , require scouting, permits, travel, lodging, and often significant dressing to match the story's time period.
• Post-Production, Color Grading & Score: The editorial process for dramas is typically longer than genre films, with careful attention to pacing and tone.
• Development: By the end of World War II, Rossellini had abandoned the film Desiderio, as conditions made it impossible to complete (though it was later finished by Marcello Pagliero in 1946 and disowned by Rossellini).

What were the major cost factors in Rome, Open City?

Several factors contributed to the overall production costs of "Rome, Open City."

• Above-the-Line Talent: Above-the-Line Talent is one of the primary cost drivers in drama productions of this scale.
• Location Filming: Location Filming & Period Production Design is one of the primary cost drivers in drama productions of this scale.
• Post-Production: Post-Production, Color Grading & Score is one of the primary cost drivers in drama productions of this scale.

How Does Rome, Open City's Budget Compare to Similar Films?

At $20,000, Rome, Open City sits in the micro-budget range. Here is how it compares to productions with a similar budget:

• Cure (1997): Budget $20,000, Worldwide Gross $234,821
• Beats (2019): Budget $25,000, Worldwide Gross $310,827

The median budget for wide-release drama films in the era ranges from $30 to 80M for mid-budget to $150M+ for tentpoles.

Rome, Open City Box Office Performance

"Rome, Open City" earned $1,000,000 worldwide at the box office. Against a production budget of $20,000, the film performed strongly at the box office.

A film typically needs to earn approximately twice its production budget to cover marketing and distribution costs. For "Rome, Open City," that break-even threshold was roughly $40,000. With worldwide earnings of $1,000,000, the film cleared that threshold comfortably.

• Production Budget: $20,000
• Worldwide Gross: $1,000,000
• Net Return: $980,000
• ROI: approximately 4900%

At 4900%, "Rome, Open City" earned roughly $50 for every $1 invested in production.

Rome, Open City Production History

By the end of World War II, Rossellini had abandoned the film Desiderio, as conditions made it impossible to complete (though it was later finished by Marcello Pagliero in 1946 and disowned by Rossellini). By 1944, there was virtually no film industry in Italy, and the origins of the film's initial funding are unclear. Rossellini had initially planned a documentary titled Storie di ieri on the subject of Don Pietro Morosini, a Catholic priest who had been shot by the Nazis for helping the partisan movement in Italy, and began meeting with a number of screenwriters in Rome shortly after Germany abandoned the city.

Awards and Recognition

Nominated for 1 Oscar. 6 wins & 1 nomination total

• National Board of Review: Top Ten Films

Critical Reception

Rome, Open City received a mediocre reception from Italian audiences when it was first released when Italian people were said to want escapism after the war. However, it became more popular as the film's reputation grew in other countries. The film brought international attention to Italian cinema and is considered a quintessential example of neorealism in film, so much so that together with Paisà and Germania anno zero it is called Rossellini's "Neorealist Trilogy".