My journey to expand my knowledge of classic film continues with 1952's Umberto D. which I watched on Amazon Prime UK.
My classic movie diary so far:
1940: Rebecca
1941: Citizen Kane
1942: There Was A Father
1943: The Ox-Bow Incident
1944: Laura
1945: Brief Encounter
1946: It's A Wonderful Life
1947: Monsieur Verdoux
1948: Rope
1949: The Third Man
1950: Rashomon
1951: Strangers on a Train
Directed by Vittorio De Sica, Umberto D. is an Italian neorealist film which follows an elderly man named Umberto Domenico Ferrari who struggles to survive on his government pension in Rome, whilst taking care of his dog, Flike.
As described by film critic Roger Ebert, Italian neorealism was "an Italian movement, born in wartime, continuing through the 1950s, which believed that films should be made close to the surface of everyday life and played by non-professionals who embodied their characters". Umberto D. is regarded as one of the best of this film movement, and featured many non-professional actors, including Carlo Battisti in the titular role, as well as a down-to-earth tone which highlights the struggles of working class Italians post-WII. Where a Hollywood movie with the same story may have over-played the sentimentality of certain story beats, De Sica instead keeps things grounded in reality which actually makes the film all the more emotional.
My only previous experience with Italian neorealism has been the equally regarded Bicycle Thieves (1948) which I immensely enjoyed. Like that film, Umberto D. has a very simple story. We watch the protagonist try to scrounge together money for rent, battle against his landlady and finally decide whether to take his own life or not. The final twenty minutes or so are incredibly powerful, without being schmaltzy or sentimental. This is all the more impressive given the fact that much of the second half revolves around Umberto's relationship with his adorable and loyal dog, Flike.
The characterisation of Umberto is really well realised. We understand that he was once a respectable and traditional man, but under circumstances has now had to let go of these values. For example, he befriends a pregnant maid who works in his building, expressing only mild indignation when she declares she has no idea which of two men is the baby's father. Ultimately, though, this maid is Umberto's only friend other than Flike and he therefore puts aside his traditional values in favour of remaining her friend. They are united in that they are both alone in the world, simply trying to make it through each day. His relationships with this maid and the dog only serve to highlight how isolated he is.
Moments like Umberto struggling to come to terms with having to beg in the street, looking for his dog in the pound and being visited by the maid in hospital, excited about her gift of a single banana, are quietly heart-wrenching. The director plays them in a matter-of-fact fashion which contrasts the grand emotions and characters of classic Hollywood films. Both Umberto D. and Bicycle Thieves join my list of favourite classic films and I can't wait to watch more from the Italian neorealism movement soon!
Thanks for reading this article, be sure to check out the rest of my classic diary through the links at the start of this post!
I do not own any of the images used in this post.