Vittorio De Sica
Umbertod

THE REVIEW

Umberto is a retiree and he's not doing well.

He lives in a shabby studio apartment, is behind on rent, the landlady is a jerk and repeatedly threatens eviction.

He gets by as best as he can but is as lonely as a dog, no one helps him, no one cares about him, after all, he is just an old man.

Only the maid shows him a shred of humanity and only Flike, his mongrel, is by his side and loves him.

Umberto's portrait (Umbertod) is of a man of the past, a man of great integrity, unyielding in his dignity, in his consistency and respect for the values he believes in, such as sincerity and honesty, but in a dishonest world, we know, living trying to uphold certain values is quite a challenge, especially if you are old and sick.

Vittorio De Sica, once again, after Sciuscià and Bicycle Thieves, presents a highly dramatic, even desperate, film.

Curious man, De Sica… a great womanizer, lover of the good life and gambling, however, he pours into his directorial art the dramas of Italy, of the poor people, of the losers, whether they are shoeshiners, thieves out of necessity, poor retirees… which 60 years ago had a pension just as small as it is in Italy today…

The film was not well received by the Italian ruling class, perhaps too “realistic”… uncomfortable for them to denounce the condition of so many poor retirees who in their youth gave everything to the country only to find themselves with mere pennies in their pockets and forced to eat at the charity…

The film was written by Cesare Zavattini and De Sica himself and is dedicated to the memory of his father: Umberto De Sica.

Notable is the acting performance of Umbertod (Carlo Battisti) who was not actually a professional actor but a distinguished philologist, linguist. His gaunt but dignified figure, his severe, lively, and watery little eyes, his rumpled mustache and that querulous voice that makes him somewhat unlikable at times, yet adds an extra touch of realism to the figure of a poor old man living uncomfortably, living poorly…

If I could borrow two thousand lire…

Sorry Umberto but the bus is coming… oh, Umberto… say hello to Dr. Conti if you see him!

Dr. Conti is dead…