Review of Umberto D. (1952) by Dustin D — 15 Nov 2018

A classic story of world cinema.

Umberto (Carlo Battisti) is a retired civil servant, bereft of friends--save for his pet dog--and family. Unable to pay the rent on the shabby room where he has lived for three decades, Umberto is slated for eviction. His angered protests to the Italian government about the cavalier treatment afforded him and his fellow senior citizens fall upon deaf ears.

So I'm in world cinema, a class at my film school. Each week, we're supposed to watch one movie that's considered a classic. Many of these films thrived in times of neorealism, French New Wave, Japanese realism, and more. "Umberto D." was one of the first films we watched.

Back then, the way films were shot stylistically were so much different than they are today. "Umberto D." was shot with many long, lingering takes and not many cuts. Its black & white film makes this film visually appealing. The lack of cuts and rapid editing allows us, the audience, to experience all the emotion we need to in minimal takes.

The character of Umberto is really what made this film. The film depicted a lifestyle of the lower class in order to show people the severity and difficulties that many faced. Umberto is the average citizen, too proud to beg but too old to work a meaningful job. He's stuck in a dead end and we watch his struggles and how it defines him as a person within civilization.

In the end, "Umberto D." was a great film. I'm sure it's on the Criterion Collection but if not, I know it's available at a small price for streaming.