The Story of Film part 5: The Devastation of War and a New Movie Language

Between 1939-1952, cinema got darker - reflecting the tumult and carnage of war – and more daring. Mark Cousins investigates.

War brings trauma and makes cinema more daring. In Italy, Roberto Rossini releases Rome, Open City. In Hollywood, Orson Welles is discovered and American film begins to slowly darken. In Britain, Carol Reeds makes the era's emblematic picture, The Third Man. This episode features Stanley Donen, Paul Schrader and Robert Towne.