Miracle in Milan (1951)

An open hearted and unrelentingly energetic orphan struggles to make the best out of his life on the streets of Milan.

Director:

Vittorio De Sica

Writers:

Cesare Zavattini (novel), Cesare Zavattini (screenplay)

Stars:

Emma Gramatica, Francesco Golisano, Paolo Stoppa

Nominated for 2 BAFTA Film Awards. Another 4 wins.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Emma Gramatica	...	La vecchia Lolotta
Francesco Golisano	...	Totò
Paolo Stoppa	...	Rappi
Guglielmo Barnabò	...	Mobbi
Brunella Bovo	...	Edvige
Anna Carena	...	Marta, la signora altezzosa
Alba Arnova	...	La statua che prende vita
Flora Cambi	...	L'innamorata infelice
Virgilio Riento	...	Il sergente delle guardie
Arturo Bragaglia	...	Alfredo
Erminio Spalla	...	Gaetano
Riccardo Bertazzolo	...	L'atleta
Checco Rissone	...	Il comandante in secondo (as Francesco Rissone)
Angelo Prioli	...	Il comandante in primo

Storyline

An old woman finds a baby among the cauliflowers in her garden. She takes care of the orphan, and calls him Totò. When she dies, he is sent to an orphanage, which he leaves as a teenager. When Totò goes out in the world, he expects everyone to be open-hearted as himself, but it isn't so. Without belongings and a place to live, he soon turns up among other homeless people, living scattered in boxes and cement pipes on a vast, barren field outside Milano. With his energy and enthusiasm Totò quickly engages the outcasts in transforming the place into a small shanty town. The eccentric misfits are turned into a warm-hearted community. But when the wealthy Mr. Mobbi buys the land he will try to get rid of the outcasts.

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Plot Keywords:

magic | orphan | poverty | homelessness | baby found in cabbage patch | 

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Taglines:

An impudent, riotous laugh on the lives and morals of our day!

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Fantasy

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

Italy

Language:

Italian English

Release Date:

17 December 1951 (USA)

Also Known As:

Miracle in Milan

Filming Locations:

Duomo, Milan, Lombardia, Italy

Company Credits

Production Co:

Produzioni De Sica,Ente Nazionale Industrie Cinematografiche (ENIC)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

100 min

Sound Mix:

Mono Mono (RCA Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Filmed in Milan, it was only natural that the movie received its premiere in that city.

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Connections

Edited into Histoire(s) du cinéma: Une vague nouvelle (1999)

User Reviews

A Magical Feel-Good Film

I just recently watched De Sica's Miracle in Milan and I must say it's a tragedy this film isn't more widely accessible. The film follows the curiously magical exploits of a grown up orphan who has just left his orphanage for the first time. His unstoppable optimism finally brings him to a shantytown outside of Milan. He helps to build the town into a thriving community, which soon comes under the fire of the property's owner. Through a miracle from the heavens, our optimistic orphan sets to help his fellow vagrants with their lives and their homes.

I'm not normally one for dopey family films, so I was very happy to enjoy this. It's not dopey, it's not sappy and it's not overly sentimental. The story is told with a gentle touch that De Sica is such a master with. The film is sweet, good-hearted and touching without ever relying on the corny or the melodramatic.

All in all, this film leaves you with a heart-warming feeling that only a poet like De Sica could give you. A sure recommendation.