A group of Italian Communists, in effort to make a statement of how radical they are, write a letter to the publisher of an evening newspaper. In it they state how they are ready to, if called upon, fight alongside the Vietnamese against the Americans. This grandstanding was something of an empty threat, which none of the involved members ever expected would get published, let alone they be called upon. But that is exactly what happened. Open Letter is about the reactions that those party members go through to save face, the blame game, and how some truly are willing to die for their beliefs and some would rather live comfortably in the very un-communistic wealth that they have made for themselves in Italy.

The climate of Italy in 1968 is, by far, one of the most intriguing moments of political history of the entire country. The growing student Communist movement and their growing away from the Marxist methods so associated with that style of government was ripe for youth exploration. Bertolucci did this with Partner, and other filmmakers did the same to varying degrees of success. Open Letter To The Evening News is Maselli’s attempt, and from the much older and wiser perspective of a nationalistic Communist that lived through World War II raised by active anti-Fascists, his vision is more mature, questioning, and intelligent than many of the others.

What I liked the most out of Open Letter was that it wasn’t nearly as concerned with looking cool as other films of this genre were doing. The film is very minimalist, many of the characters are unnamable, and much of the film is set indoors in three or four different venues or apartments. It is primarily a conversational film and in its dialog is the sheer genius of double-talk, feigned interest, half-baked ideas and non-relevant commentaries on each other. It’s almost as if Robert Altman directed it.

The role of women in the film is an especially intriguing part. They are generally given the cold shoulder by their respective beaus and are expected to go play nice when they get together to have their meetings. Oftentimes throughout the film though, it’s the women that come strong with the commentary on what’s going on and have stronger dedicated views for and against different acts. I would go so far as to say the women have a better overall idea about the current affairs and the potential consequences of everything the party does.

The finale of Open Letter is certainly not what I expected, but it fits the film perfectly. It remains quite relevant today, even in America. Open Letter isn’t so much about Communism as it is about standing up for what you believe in, and seeing if people are willing to walk the walk when all they’ve ever done was talk. It also forces the viewer to question his own beliefs in his or her political stance. Just how much do you support your feelings and the feelings of your leader?

More people should question this and much more frequently.

Following on the film, we get a second feature-length documentary on the second disc called Fragments Of The Twentieth Century. Also directed by Francesco Maselli, this is equal parts autobiographical (going through his personal history) and historical (going through Italy’s history). It’s extremely interesting to view the two in context with each other, and we get a great visual history of how the two sides of Maselli (the Leftist political activist and the filmmaker), combine to create the art that he has made for the better part of sixty years now. The constant work must have been good for Maselli, because he still appears healthy and strong and it looks as though he will for years to come continue providing all kinds of art to Italy. Equally as impressive are the living subjects of Italy’s history that Maselli is able to gather together in order to provide more input of the importance of the art and political history throughout the years. History buffs will love this, even though much is Maselli-centric – Fragments delivers.

The DVD Presentation
It doesn’t seem like a very extensive restoration was done for Open Letter. The full frame video is quite grainy and even has considerable print damage. This is most noticeable in outdoors scenes. There is a disclaimer before the feature stating that this was not corrected based on the director of photography’s and Maselli’s wishes. I can understand they were going for an intentionally grainy feel, but I would think the print damage could have been addressed. Audio comes through just fine with the Italian Mono track and, of course, English subtitles are included.

And the Extras Are?
Introduction by director Francesco Maselli – (0:57 & 0:45) - On both the feature film and his included documentary Maselli provides a short intro. These do not amount to much, but I like the intimate feeling that it gives seeing as how Open Letter is such an obviously personal film. The intro for the Fragments feature on the second disc is shorter, but very direct about what we are about to view.

Open Letter from a Comrade – Interview with director Francesco Maselli – (16:48) - This is an excellent piece to watch following the film. Maselli goes into detail his history with the Italian Communist Party, provides some info on the production of the film, but most importantly discusses the reception that the film received following its release.

On the Eve of Revolution – Francesco Maselli and the mayor of Rome Walter Veltroni – (12:37) - Now this is a fascinating discussion. Maselli sits with the current mayor of Rome, and once member of the Italian Young Communist Federation and discusses Open Letter’s significance in the “cinema politico” genre. It was a surprise to see how knowledgeable Veltroni is on this topic, name-dropping other films that highlighted the student revolution of the time, including Partner and Love And Anger. Great insight is held within this feature.

Portraits of the Artist as a Camera – Exclusive photo gallery from Francesco Maselli’s collection with director’s intro – (4:13) - Maselli presents a series of photographs that he took of himself sleeping using different techniques of exposing when developing. The result makes for an amazing series which apparently received exhibition in Italy and England. There is text info on this available in the booklet which accompanies this DVD.

The Eyewitness – Interview with director Francesco Maselli – (8:46) - The sole bonus feature on the second disc, this explains the origins of how Maselli’s Fragments Of The Twentieth Century came to be. It’s a nice inclusion, but feels like it could have simply been edited into the intro that accompanies the main feature.

Finally, the expected NoShame booklet rightly shies away from discussing much of the film, and instead offers up background information. There is a bio of Maselli by frequent liner note writer Richard Harland Smith, which is very informative. This is followed by a short article that Italian director extraordinaire, Michelangelo Antonioni wrote in 1979 about Maselli (Maselli worked as his assistant-director on many projects, including Story Of A Love Affair) and his photo exhibition. And last there is another short article about Maselli’s photography style by Italian novelist Italo Calvino that was used for his London exhibition.

The Bottom Line
Described on the packaging as a black comedy, Open Letter is much more than that. It’s a very deep satire. If ever there was a film that could be described as Italy’s Network, Open Letter is that film. It asks how far one will go to support his own convictions, and how long they are willing to wear the mask needed in order to keep up appearances. Open Letter is an amazing political film, and while its audience may be limited with the passing of time taking us further away from the subject matter, the overall theme is not. NoShame’s recognition of this fact (and this film) is cause for celebration, and this DVD offers a great package for those interested in a turbulent era of Italy’s history. Of course, for anyone who is a fan of Maselli, this is a must-own collection.