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Directed by: Vittorio De Sica Starring: Carlo Battisti Umberto D: The film from Italian neo-realist Vittorio De Sica is centered around the life of a pensioner who cannot afford to live in post-war Italy. The first part of the film revolves around Mr. Umberto trying to gain the funds to pay off his debt while the second part showcases what Umberto does when he is unable to get any. In neo-realist fashion, the film was shot entirely on location in Rome. The film was moving in the way it portrayed how society functioned in the post-war poverty. Rather than uniting in solidarity, each man or woman focused on themselves, as was evident when Umberto tried to get money from his former colleagues but they brushed him off speaking of their own problems. Umberto is too proud to beg and his former colleagues realize this but still show no help to him. The only characters sympathetic to him were his dog Flike and the maid Maria. While I didn't turn on the waterworks, my throat did get a little tight near the end. Sica, however, does end the film in a positive light which might be evidence of the underlying optimism that can accompany any situation. 8/10 RATING: 4.5 PROS: Honest look at a post-war Italy, Good performances by actors, Neo-realism CONS: Can drag at times ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0045274/
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Dec 10, 2004 00:26
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| # ? Apr 26, 2024 20:03 |
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I like Bicycle Thief, but Umberto did far less for me. I really didn't care for the main character at all. Maybe you're not supposed to, but then what's the point? I did like the fantastic use of perspective shots, though. Rating: 3
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Dec 10, 2004 20:11
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It had me depressed for a month. It was heart wrneching. I thought it was wonderful, but i don't think i can ever bring myself to watch it again purely because it was SO upsetting. De Sica does a great job of having the audience feel empathetic for Umberto withouth making him seem anymore important than the crowds of people in his situation. 5.
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Dec 11, 2004 06:21
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