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Umberto D Details

1952

70
from 1294 members

Starring	Carlo Battisti, Maria Pia Casilio, Lina Gennari, Alberto Albani Barbieri
Director	Vittorio De Sica
Genres	Drama, World Cinema

Umberto D

Frequently mentioned on lists of masterpieces of modern cinema, Vittorio De Sica's Umberto D. transforms a simple character study into a painfully poignant drama. Umberto is an aging former civil servant, now retired on his scant government pension. He spends his time in his tiny room in Rome, with only his longtime pet dog for companionship. His lonely life only grows worse when his limited income forces him to fall behind on his rent, leading his landlady to threaten him with eviction. He makes a desperate attempt to raise the needed money and protest the unfair treatment of senior citizens to the government, but he receives little response. His one chance at human contact, through brief conversations with a pregnant servant, proves sadly disappointing. Indeed, Umberto slowly becomes convinced that the situation may be hopeless, and he ultimately considers committing suicide. Considered one of the high points of Italian neo-realist cinema, Umberto D. provides the ultimate example of the movement's unadorned, observational style, which emphasizes the reality of events without calling attention to their emotional or dramatic impact. The unschooled, natural performances also contribute to the film's feeling of verisimilitude, particularly the lead performance by non-actor Carlo Battisti.~ Judd Blaise, All Movie Guide

Starring	Carlo Battisti, Maria Pia Casilio, Lina Gennari, Alberto Albani Barbieri
Director	Vittorio De Sica
Studio	NOUVEAUX PICTURES
Run time	DVD: 1 hr 14 mins
Certificate
Genres	Drama, World Cinema
Language	DVD: Italian
Subtitles	DVD: English
Released	Production year: 1952 To Rent: DVD: 27 Sep 2004

Critic's review of Umberto D
View all (1)
- Judging by his demeanour, the D stands for Deep Depression. But the old man at the centre of De Sica's famous film from... read more on Time Out
- 47352
- - Time Out
  - 04 Nov 2008 at 00:17
Most helpful member's review of Umberto D
View all members' reviews (23)
- - 19
  - 7
  Not that good
  
  Not worth the trouble, mildly depressing really.
  
  Report this review
- 155057
- [Highly rated reviewer]
  
  [Highly rated reviewer]
  - Dan & Aniko
  - Skipton
  - 29 Sep 2005 at 20:45
Most recent members' reviews of Umberto D
View all members' reviews (23)
- - 0
  - 0
  It's no joke getting old.
  
  In post war Rome, an ailing and destitute old man faces eviction by his hard hearted landlady. His only friends are his small dog Flike and a young illiterate ... read more »
  
  Report this review
- 1051525
- - Oldbloke
  - 222 reviews
  - Sidmouth
  - 15 Oct 2011 at 00:52
- - 1
  - 0
  Classic de Sica
  
  Typically de Sica, this is a poignant story of a lonely poverty-stricken pensioner who tries to raise the funds to pay his rent debts. His landlady is ... read more »
  
  Report this review
- 863095
- - a customer
  - Shropshire, UK
  - 18 Feb 2010 at 10:27
- - 2
  - 0
  Worth It
  
  This is a true cinematic gem. One for the serious film lover though. It is not the most amazing piece of cinematography but the story telling is beautiful. It ... read more »
  
  Report this review
- 808379
- - a customer
  - Canterbury
  - 08 Sep 2009 at 17:48
View all members' reviews (23)
News and features
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Wendy and Lucy
- 02 Mar 2009
Maybe the best American film not to get any Oscar credit this year, Kelly Reichardt’s follow-up to Old Joy is a simple, poignant movie that will resonate as tough economic times cut deeper. It’s not what you would call a starry performance, but Michelle Williams is superb as Wendy, a young woman driving up to Alaska in search of work. Her car breaks down several hundreds of miles short in a thoroughly unexceptional Oregon town. She’s down to her last few bucks and Lucy is... Read more

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- Umberto D
  
  Frequently mentioned on lists of masterpieces of modern cinema, Vittorio De Sica's Umberto D. transforms a simple character study into a painfully poignant drama. Umberto is an aging former civil servant, now retired on his scant government pension. He spends his time in his tiny room in Rome, with ...