Review of Umberto D. (1952) by Adrian B — 14 Jun 2011

Mr. Umberto Domenico Ferrari is a former city worker living off a menial pension and is barely getting by. He is a lonely man with just a dog, named Flike, to comfort him. Sadly, his life is just about to get worse, when he is forced to move out from his apartment of 20 years, thanks to a mean landlord.

In addition, he looses contact with his dog...briefly. This is one of the toughest films of the 1950's and if you have seen Ozu's "Tokyo Story," a story of an elderly couple rejected by their kids, this one is much crueler.

As we watched this film, I was witnessing an poor, secluded old man's decent into total tragedy. I have to say, I weeped during the bulk of the film and still shed few tears just thinking about it.

It is as effective as it was when released nearly six decades ago. Also the lighting and cinematography are superb, with one scene in particular of Umberto walking down some stairs in gloom and behind him, his shadow getting bigger as he descends.

What a sad, depressing, yet utterly superb film!