Review of Umberto D. (1952) by Ryan D — 14 Nov 2009
Vittorio de Sica's Umberto D. is an Italian neorealist film. This film depicts an old man, Umberto Dominico Ferrari, who is trying to make ends meet. He lives off a pension and the lady he rents a room from is threatening to kick him out. He tries selling a bunch of stuff to get the money he needs to pay his debts, but he only manages about a third of what he needs. He decides to kill himself, but he has a dog that he doesn't want to abandon.
Like de Sica's more famous Bicycle Thieves, this film is an Italian neorealist film. The main character is nobody important and his struggles are typical of people in post-War Italy. The film consists of mainly non-professional actors (as far as I can tell this is the only film Carlo Battisti, the man who played Umberto D., ever appeared in). The film is also filmed on location which is another characteristic of neorealism.
While this film is generally not as well-received as Bicycle Thieves, it is still a fairly well-regarded film. I actually liked this film better than Bicycle Thieves as I found the main character rather likable. People who do not particularly care for dogs probably wouldn't like this film since the dog is rather important in the film. Overall, this film is nearly flawless and probably the best Italian film I have ever seen.
95/100.
A.
This review of Umberto D. (1952) was written by Ryan D on 14 Nov 2009.
Umberto D. has generally received very positive reviews.
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