Rome, Open City

In occupied Rome, 1944, Luigi Ferraris, hiding under the alias Giorgio Manfredi, narrowly avoids capture after a landlady warns him. He slips away from the rooming house and vanishes into the city, beginning his covert Resistance work. The escape marks the start of his dangerous underworld activities among the Resistance.

Luigi seeks shelter at Francesco's apartment and is taken in by the Resistance ally. Pina, Francesco's visibly pregnant fiancée, initially suspects Luigi is a cop but soon accepts him as a confederate after clarification. The two men begin coordinating their communications through familiar faces in the building.

Don Pietro, a Catholic priest, is asked to officiate Pina and Francesco's wedding the next day. The arrangement highlights the tension between wartime pragmatism and religious rituals, while Pina questions what is possible under occupation. The priest agrees to help, cementing his role in the Resistance network.

Bergmann, aided by the Italian police chief, raids the sprawling apartment building in search of Luigi and other resistors. Dozens are arrested; Luigi manages to slip away, but Francesco is hauled off in a truck. Pina breaks through the cordon shouting Francesco's name and is shot dead in the chaos.

The priest, present to remove weapons under the guise of prayer, cradles Pina's body and prays as Part I ends. The raid exposes the Resistance's presence and stakes in the city rise dramatically. Luigi and Francesco are left to navigate a hunted existence.

Francesco and Luigi reunite after the raid and seek shelter with Don Pietro, who offers to hide them in a monastery. The plan ensures their survival while extending the Resistance network. The trio prepares to move under the priest's protection.

The group hides at an inn where Marina works, and Luigi confronts her about her drug-addicted lifestyle. The next morning, Marina betrays both him and Francesco to the Nazis, signaling a grim turn in the pursuit of the Resistance. Alliances become as dangerous as enemies.

Luigi, Francesco, Don Pietro, and an Austrian deserter leave for the monastery, but Francesco lags behind. Germans ambush the party, mistakenly detaining the Austrian instead of Francesco. Marina is rewarded by Ingrid with a fur coat and more drugs for her betrayal.

Back at Nazi headquarters, Bergmann pressures Luigi to betray his comrades. Luigi refuses and endures torture as the Austrian deserter has already collapsed under pressure. Don Pietro is forced to watch, reinforcing the priest's resolve and the resistance's stubborn defiance.

Luigi dies without yielding to the torment, his courage undermining the Germans' sense of control. Don Pietro blesses his body and commends him to God's mercy, underscoring the moral weight of personal sacrifice in wartime. The torturers' confidence in the 'master race' is visibly shaken.

Marina and a German officer stumble into Bergmann's office, shocked by Luigi's torture and death. Ingrid resolves to keep Marina as a tool for future leverage, taking Marina's fur coat as a symbolic reminder of power. The officer mutters, 'we are a master race,' highlighting the Nazi creed's fragility in the face of resistance.

Don Pietro is taken to be executed as Italian altar boys-resistance fighters signal their solidarity with whistles. The firing squad hesitates, showing hesitation at harming a priest, and a furious German officer demands action. The priest is killed, leaving Rome's skyline and St. Peter's dome as the somber backdrop.