From director Vittorio De Sica (Bicycle Thieves, The Garden of the Finzi-Continis), I knew nothing about this Italian film before I found it in the 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die book, and I had no idea of the concept or plot before watching it, so it was going to be interesting to try. Basically elderly pensioner and retired civil servant Umberto Domenico Ferrari (Carlo Battisti) is taking part in a street demonstration held by other pensioners who are demanding an increase in their money, but the police clean the streets of the crowd, and all he can do is return to his cheap furnished room in a boarding house and his dog Flick. Umberto is threatened to be evicted from the house by the landlady Antonia Belloni (Lina Gennari) who is demanding the rent he owes, all he can do to make the money he needs is sell his books and his watch, he does not want to beg in the streets as he has his pride. He is not able to get a loan from any of his acquaintances as well, his only true friend is the boarding house servant and simple girl Maria (Maria Pia Casilio), she is pregnant with the baby of one of two soldiers, neither of them will admit they are the father. Umberto's financial difficulties are delayed more when he contracts a sore throat and is admitted to hospital, when he is allowed to leave he has a frantic search for Flick who has disappeared, he eventually locates him in a dog pound, but he is indeed evicted from the house and is now homeless. Umberto feeling at his lowest plans to kill himself, so he first wants to find a home for his dog, unable to do this he decides that his pet must die with him, and cuddled up together he stands in the path of an incoming train, but he cannot go through with suicide and moves away, so the film ends with Umberto and Flick just playing together in a park, reaffirming the love for his dog, and for life. Also starring Alberto Albani Barbieri as Fiancé and Elena Rea as Sister. The director said "the ideal film would be ninety minutes in the life of a man to whom nothing happens, that statement does almost seem true as not a lot happens, but the poignant moments definitely work well, with Battisti certainly giving a fantastic performance as the old man going into despair and attempting to fight it, he is supported by non professional actors, shot on location this film works really well as an observational piece of a man ostracised from the society he formerly helped secure, it is a watchable drama. It was nominated the Oscar for Best Writing, Motion Picture Story. Very good!
Review of Umberto D.
