Rossellini, like many other Italian directors, found himself under the employ of Cinecittà during wartime. He then hesitantly embarked on a military trilogy which had definite propagandistic undertones. In 1941, he directed La Nave Bianca, concerning the wounded aboard a Navy ship. This was followed by Un Pilota Ritorna, produced by Vittorio Mussolini, about an imprisoned Air Force pilot in Greece. In L'Uomo della Croce, Rossellini followed an Army chaplain and his wounded ward through a bloody clash with the Russian infantry. In a thoroughly demoralizing situation, the chaplain retains his belief in God and country, instilling like faith in all those around him. L'Uomo della Croce smacks of manipulative ideology, a prerequisite for most films made in mid-war. But in this film, you see Rossellini's early concern for an objective rendering of realistic detail. Interestingly, Rossellini would soon become involved with the Italian underground and in 1945, he completed Rome, Open City, a powerful film about the Italian resistance.