It was the final part of Rossellini's "Fascist trilogy" following The White Ship (1941) and A Pilot Returns (1942).
It is loosely inspired by Reginaldo Giuliani, an Italian military chaplain who had been killed on active service.
[1] The film was made at Cinecittà with location shooting in the countryside around Ladispoli standing in for the Eastern Front.
[2] Rossellini cast his friend, the art director Alberto Tavazzi in the title role, while his girlfriend Roswita Schmidt played the female lead.
A military chaplain volunteers to stay behind with a badly wounded Italian soldier, even though this means certain capture.