Shoeshine (1946)
"Sciuscià (Ragazzi)" (original title)

Two boys make money by shining shoes in the streets of Rome in postwar Italy. When they become involved in a burglary, the police come looking for them.

Director:

Vittorio De Sica

Writers:

Sergio Amidei, Adolfo Franci,

Stars:

Franco Interlenghi, Rinaldo Smordoni, Annielo Mele

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 3 wins.

Cast

Cast overview:
Franco Interlenghi	...	Pasquale Maggi
Rinaldo Smordoni	...	Giuseppe Filippucci
Annielo Mele	...	Raffaele
Bruno Ortenzi	...	Arcangeli
Emilio Cigoli	...	Staffera

Storyline

At a track near Rome, shoeshine boys are watching horses run. Two of the boys Pasquale, an orphan, and Giuseppe, his younger friend are riding. The pair have been saving to buy a horse of their own to ride... The boys meet Attilio, Giuse's much older brother, and his shady friend at a boat on the Tiber. In return for a commission, the boys agree to deliver black market goods to a fortune-teller. Once the woman has paid, Attilio's gang suddenly arrives. Pretending to be cops, they shake the woman down. With a payoff from Attilio, the boys are able to make the final payment and stable their horse in Trastevere over the river... The fortune-teller identifies Pasqua and Giuse. Held at an overcrowded boys' prison, they are separated. Giuse falls under the influence of an older lad in his cell, Arcangeli. During interrogation, Pasqua is tricked into betraying Giuse's brother to the police. With their trial still in the future, the two friends are driven further apart...

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Plot Keywords:

horse | police | fortune teller | black market | older brother | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

Italy

Language:

Italian English

Release Date:

26 August 1947 (USA)

Also Known As:

Shoeshine

Filming Locations:

Scalera Studios, Rome, Lazio, Italy

Company Credits

Production Co:

Societa Cooperativa Alfa Cinematografica

Technical Specs

Runtime:

93 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Photophone System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The title is a Napulitan corruption of the English word "shoe-shiner."

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Connections

Referenced in Il tassinaro (1983)

User Reviews

Well-made but harsh, tragic and depressing. Not an "easy" movie.

This is one of Vittorio De Sica's early works but probably his breakthrough. Well, maybe not really his breakthrough (that was the more famous 'Ladri di biciclette') but at least his first major work. The name of Vittorio De Sica is almost automatically associated with 'Ladri di biciclette', which is almost inevitable, considering its fame and reputation. 'Sciuscià (Ragazzi)' doesn't seem to be as well-known. That is probably the reason why I never heard of it so far.

It's a well-told movie, well-directed, well-made, ta ta ta... but so depressing that it's hard to watch. On that sense, it's a lot like 'Ladri di biciclette'. It's one of those movies that take time to grow on us, but once it does it's a good movie.

'Sciuscià (Ragazzi)' is the tragic story of two friends (Pasquale Maggi and Giuseppe Filippucci) who shine shoes for a living. They share a common dream: to save enough money in order to get themselves one horse. The two shoeshine boys see themselves in trouble with the police after trying to find the money to buy a horse. One day it seems that their dream will finally come true, but in reality their nightmare has only just begun. They are framed and find themselves in a trap before they can even understand what's going on. Soon they end up in jail for a crime they didn't commit.

When they go to their hell (that is, prison), although separated, they try to remain friends... but the time spent in prison and the environment there destroys them. Destiny has in store a tragedy that concerns both of them, which is how the movie ends...

The boys act superbly: Franco Interlenghi as Pasquale and Rinaldo Smordoni as Giuseppe.