AllMovie

The plot of the Italian Before Him All Rome Trembled bears traces of the Puccini opera Tosca. Let's go farther than that: it is Tosca, albeit in modern dress. During World War II, British agent Joop van Hulsen parachutes into Rome. He is hidden in the catacombs of the Royal Opera by anti-fascists. As a production of Tosca progresses on the stage of the opera house, the activities below ground begin to mirror the events in the Puccini piece, wherein the heroine must choose between allowing a political prisoner to die, or to surrender herself sexually to the one man who can save the prisoner's life. Most of the acting is as floridly operatic as the musical numbers, with the exception of earth-mother Anna Magnani. Before Him All Rome Trembled was originally released as Davanti a lui tremave tutta Roma..