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Movies / On DVD / Umberto D.
Umberto D.

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Umberto D. (1952)

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Reviews Counted:25

Fresh:24

Rotten:1

Average Rating:8.9/10

Runtime: 89 mins

Genre: Foreign Films

Synopsis: The Italian classic UMBERTO D., from director Vittorio De Sica, offers a realistic character sketch of an elderly man, Umberto D. (Carlo Battisti), who is determined to retain his dignity in spite... The Italian classic UMBERTO D., from director Vittorio De Sica, offers a realistic character sketch of an elderly man, Umberto D. (Carlo Battisti), who is determined to retain his dignity in spite of a meager pension. As with many of De Sica's Neo-realist films, the central struggle is existence--Umberto D.'s pension is simply too small a sum to cover his rent. Joining forces with fellow pensioners, the men stage a protest that is ignored. Umberto attempts and fails to sell his meager belongings when he falls ill. After he returns from hospitalization for the illness, he makes an effort to beg on the street, but is foiled by his own pride. Hitting rock bottom, Umberto decides to kill himself as soon as he can find a new home for his beloved dog, Flag. When he fails to find a home for the dog, Umberto attempts to take the dog with him to the great beyond. In UMBERTO D., De Sica depicts the bleakness of life with unparalleled subtlety and craftsmanship. Deep focus photography details Umberto's isolation, while pointing out that countless other elderly poor people live in similar conditions. De Sica uses sound and music deftly to portray Umberto's subjective feelings and decisions. While many of De Sica's films achieved enormous critical acclaim, UMBERTO D. is often considered as the director's finest work. [More]

Starring: Carlo Battisi, Maria Pia Casilio, Lina Genneri, Ileana Simova

Starring: Carlo Battisi, Maria Pia Casilio, Lina Genneri, Ileana Simova, Alberto Albani Barbieri

Director: Vittorio De Sica

Director: Vittorio De Sica

[See More Credits]

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Release:

Jul 22, 2003

No Details Exist
 
 

Reviews for Umberto D.

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1 - 20 (sorted by date)
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A neo-realist classic that is very likely the inspiration for "Wendy and Lucy". The two make for very interesting watching side-by-side.

Full Review Source: rec.arts.movies.reviews | comment Comment
04/28/09
Louis Proyect
Louis Proyect
rec.arts.movies.reviews

Um dos melhores exemplares do neo-realismo italiano, pinta um retrato tocante da miséria do pós-guerra ao mesmo tempo em que, sem qualquer melodrama, cria personagens inesquecíveis em suas dores.

comment Comment
02/07/09
Pablo Villaca
Pablo Villaca
Cinema em Cena

De Sica somehow manages to avert sentimentality and banality, and his simple storytelling leaves a profound and timeless message.

Full Review Source: Ozus' World Movie Reviews | comment Comment
11/27/06
Dennis Schwartz
Dennis Schwartz
Ozus' World Movie Reviews

De Sica takes a premise that drips with sentimentality and wipes all the sappiness away, leaving only raw action and subtle underlying emotion.

Full Review Source: Arizona Daily Star | comment Comment
08/11/06
Phil Villarreal
Phil Villarreal
Arizona Daily Star
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
06/24/06
Geoff Andrew
Geoff Andrew
Time Out

Brilliant!

comment Comment
04/21/06
Cole Smithey
Cole Smithey
ColeSmithey.com

No review available.

comment Comment
06/19/05
Emanuel Levy
Emanuel Levy
EmanuelLevy.Com

Like Falconetti as Joan of Arc, Battisti offers one of those rare performances that is so perfectly realized, it automatically negates the possibility of any future roles.

Full Review Source: Filmjourney | comment Comment
12/02/04
Doug Cummings
Doug Cummings
Filmjourney

Courageously and magnificently champions the life of an apparently insignificant man in a difficult time.

Full Review Source: Apollo Guide | comment Comment
02/13/04
Dan Jardine
Dan Jardine
Apollo Guide

No review available.

comment Comment
11/14/03
Carol Cling
Carol Cling
Las Vegas Review-Journal

The very concept of believability is challenged: cornball sentiment is approached with such unblinking sincerity that the viewer’s given no way to process it except at face value.

Full Review Source: Coast (Halifax, Nova Scotia) | comment Comment
09/11/03
Mark Palermo
Mark Palermo
Coast (Halifax, Nova Scotia)

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Q Network Film Desk | comment Comment
08/31/03
James Kendrick
James Kendrick
Q Network Film Desk

Umberto D. is a film of constant desolation, a stalwart example of Neorealist cinema, and a depressive film whose recommendation depends on the benefit of the emotions it successfully elicits.

Full Review Source: Not Coming to a Theater Near You | comment Comment
07/29/03
Rumsey Taylor
Rumsey Taylor
Not Coming to a Theater Near You

this project is no academic or sociological study--it's very personal

Full Review Source: Old School Reviews | comment Comment
07/22/03
John A. Nesbit
John A. Nesbit
Old School Reviews

Derivative and plain

Full Review Source: Filmcritic.com | comment 2 Comments
07/11/03
Christopher Null
Christopher Null
Filmcritic.com
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: New York Times | comment Comment
05/20/03
Bosley Crowther
Bosley Crowther
New York Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Boxoffice Magazine | comment Comment
10/02/02
Tim Cogshell
Tim Cogshell
Boxoffice Magazine

No review available.

comment Comment
09/06/02
Rob Vaux
Rob Vaux
Flipside Movie Emporium

It's hard to think of a more remarkable tribute to the resilience of the human spirit than the one Umberto D. puts on the screen.

Full Review Source: Los Angeles Times | comment Comment
09/05/02
Kenneth Turan
Kenneth Turan
Los Angeles Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

It's a stark snapshot in which all is revealed about the 'daily life of mankind,' as the director once offered by way of description.

comment Comment
09/05/02
Robert Wilonsky
Robert Wilonsky
New Times
 
 
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