Umberto D. (1952)

User Rating:

8.3/10   

Director:

Vittorio De Sica

Writers:

Cesare Zavattini (story)
Cesare Zavattini (screenplay)

Release Date:

7 November 1955 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

Umberto Ferrari, aged government-pensioner, attends a street demonstration held by his fellow pensioners...

Plot Keywords:

Dog | Landlady | Rent | Pregnant | Servant

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 3 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Carlo Battisti	...	Umberto Domenico Ferrari
Maria-Pia Casilio	...	Maria, la servetta (as Maria Pia Casilio)
Lina Gennari	...	Antonia, la padrona di case
Ileana Simova	...	La donna nella camera di Umberto
Elena Rea	...	La suora all' ospedale
Memmo Carotenuto	...	Il degente all' ospedale

Runtime:

89 min

Country:

Italy

Language:

Italian

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

Australia:PG | UK:PG | South Korea:12 (2003) | West Germany:16 | Netherlands:6 | Argentina:Atp | Finland:S | Sweden:Btl

Filming Locations:

Cinecittà Studios, Cinecittà, Rome, Lazio, Italy

Company:

Amato Film

Trivia:

Vittorio De Sica dedicated this film to his father.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in L'uomo dal sigaro in bocca (1997)

An unforgettable masterpiece

This is storytelling at its simplest and most beautiful. An old man - his sole companion, a dog - tries to survive on a fixed, tight income while being mistreated by his landlady.

DeSica brilliantly captures the despair of his protagonist and makes this film unforgettably powerful. This film deserves to be seen by everyone, not just those who enjoy foreign-language films.

This film is touching, memorable and manages to draw us into Umberto's life without ever becoming maudlin. The denouement is heartbreaking, but the film never lapses into sentimentality. "Umberto D" truly is one of the greatest films ever made.