During WWII, some leading Hollywood directors enlisted in the United States Army, for whom they made propaganda films about the battles of the war and the purposes of fighting. One of them was John Huston, whose work in the front produced a trilogy of war documentaries: Report from the Aleutians (1943), San Pietro (1945), and Let There Be Light (1946/1980).
Having captured the Aleutian Islands campaign in Alaska, Huston’s next assignment was to film the Allies’ recapture of Rome from the Nazis. However, plans changed when the Allied advance in Italy slowed down. Therefore, a need emerged to make a documentary that would explain the new situation to audiences. The middle part of Huston’s war trilogy depicts the battle fought in the small mountain village of San Pietro, located between Rome and Naples, in December 1943. The battle was decisive for the Allied advance in Italy.
For a long time, the film had a reputation as a completely authentic depiction of the Battle of San Pietro. Further research has shown, however, that nearly all the material used in the film was shot after the actual battle. Nevertheless, the skilfully edited battle sequences are accompanied by not only Huston’s matter-of-fact voice-over but also images of foot soldiers and local children, which retain their evocative sense of reality.
Short film Two Wars by Jan Ijäs will be screened before San Pietro.
Ilpo Hirvonen