"We mustn't be afraid now or in the future," says Francesco, "because we are on the just path." Loaded with the kind of raw power that sneaks up on you and slaps you in the face, Rome Open City is totally devastating and immediate, a masterpiece of the post-war Italian realism movement.

Three hours of unmediated wonderment with the most seamless use of CGI and 3D to date, classic story structure, a distillation of transcendental thought that would make Thoreau squeal in delight, and towering action sequences so thorough they could be considered separate films in their own right. To miss this film on the big screen would be to miss the dawning of the future of blockbuster movies.

An undeniably beautiful film about the value of objects, place, and people that shows how expressions of love and fidelity are refashioned from generation to generation in a world spinning faster and faster with each passing season. We love as best we know how, Assayas seems to say; only time will tell what that implies for the future.

When the reason for the movie’s title is revealed at the end, it becomes apparent that the young man who crashed his vehicle has been searching for something far more important than car parts. Innovative and ponderous, Lake Tahoe may be an endurance test for some, but give it a chance – it may find a home in your soul.

Where in the holy heck is his masterpiece Perfume?!