251. Umberto D. (1952)

Directed By Vittorio de Sica

Synopsis

A retired man is too poor to pay his rent which is already in arrears, either he manages to get 15.000 lira (the equivalent of 20p/10c) or he and his little doggy get kicked out. After a while suicide seems to be a pretty good idea, but he needs to find a safe place to leave his dog. But he can't and even though he tries to kill himself with the dog, the dog escapes and he has to go after it. The film ends with the two playing in the park, the future uncertain.

Review

Vittorio de Sica presents us with another Italian neo-realist film, very much in the tradition of his own Bicycle Thief, instead of a man and his son looking for a bicycle there is a man and his dog, first looking for money and later looking for death for the man and a safe home for the dog. There is even a moment where the dog is lost and there is a desperate search for him, much like the bicycle in de Sica's previous film.

Italian neo-relism can sometimes come across as overly sentimental, even as manipulative of audience's feelings, and it certainly is. This is not to say however that that makes it a worse film. The use of non-professional actors always gives these films, if they are well used, a veneer of verisimilitude that is really engaging to the viewer.

Carlo Battisti who plays the title-character here is an example of an excellent non-professional actor, you do feel for him and you feel desperate with him, but overall you pity him. The political subtext is obvious, of course, the film starts with a march of pensioners demanding better pensions, Umberto is terribly oppressed by his landlady and the only other human being he can relate to is the maid who faces a situation similar to his, seeing as when she is discovered as being pregnant she will be kicked out of the house.

You do feel a bit irritated at the film at times due to the cheap tricks that it uses to make you relate, like the incineration of dogs in the pound, the pathetic figure of the old man and his little dog etc. But it is effective.

Final Grade

8/10

Trivia

From Wikipedia:


* (1957) Cesare Zavattini Nominated for Best Writing, Motion Picture Story Academy Award

* (1957) Vittorio De Sica Nominated for the Grand Prix - Cannes film festival


Scene: