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Umberto D. - Criterion Collection
 
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Umberto D. - Criterion Collection (1955)

Starring: Carlo Battisti, Maria-Pia Casilio Director: Vittorio De Sica Rating: Unrated Format: DVD
4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (38 customer reviews)

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87% buy the item featured on this page:
Umberto D. - Criterion Collection 4.6 out of 5 stars (38)
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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
Umberto D. is one of the enduring masterpieces of Italian neorealism, considered by many to be one of the greatest films ever made. Everything that neorealism represents can be found in this simple, heartbreaking story of an aged Roman named Umberto (played by Carlo Battisti, non-professional actor and retired college professor) who struggles to survive in a city plagued by passive disregard for the post-World War II plight of the elderly. With his little dog, Flike, as his only companion, Umberto faces imminent eviction, and his insufficient pension and failed attempts to raise money lead him to contemplate suicide... if he can find a home for Flike. His dilemma--and director Vittorio De Sica's compassionate, unsentimental handling of it--results in a film of uncompromising grace and authenticity. Like De Sica's earlier masterpieces Shoeshine and The Bicycle Thief, Umberto D. earns its teardrops honestly; if this timeless classic doesn't make you smile and cry, you'd better check for a pulse. --Jeff Shannon

Product Description
Shot on location with a cast of nonprofessional actors, Vittorio De Sica’s neorealist masterpiece follows Umberto D., an elderly pensioner, as he struggles to make ends meet during Italy’s postwar economic boom. Alone except for his dog, Flike, Umberto strives to maintain his dignity while trying to survive in a city where traditional human kindness seems to have lost out to the forces of modernization. Umberto’s simple quest to fulfill the most fundamental human needs—food, shelter, companionship—is one of the most heartbreaking stories ever filmed and an essential classic of world cinema.

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Customer Reviews

38 Reviews
5 star:
 (28)
4 star:
 (6)
3 star:
 (2)
2 star:
 (2)
1 star:    (0)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.6 out of 5 stars (38 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Dilys Powell's favourite film, November 13, 2000
By Ian Sketney (Kent, UK) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Umberto D. [VHS] (VHS Tape)
In 1980 I saw this film at Chapter Arts centre in Cardiff after a lecture from aged but legendary film critic Dilys Powell. She had Umberto D (about a man and his dog for goodness sake) down as her favourite movie of all time. And you've got to remember that she had sat through about 35,000 films in her lifetime. As you might imagine I was fairly intrigued at this prospect. The reality is that this film genuinely delivers like no other, if you like your heart shaken and stirred with something authentic. Now I cry fairly easily at movies when the going gets tough, but this one is truly in a class of its own. In fact the final scenes are so painful and poignant that even 20 years later I cannot recall them without emotion. But ironically this film leaves you feeling better than when you went in about the human spirit, and that's why I think it's ultimately so great.
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11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars The best of the Italian neo-realist films, June 16, 2005
Vittorio DeSica's wonderful "Umberto D" was one of the last films of the Italian neo-realism movement and by far its best one. It is also one of my favorite movies ever. The movie's premise is simple: it is a slice of the life of a poor lonely pensioner, Umberto. Throughout the movie, we see Umberto struggle to find money to pay rent to his horrible landlady, love his dog Flike, and deal with the loneliness and disillusionment of the postwar era.

"Umberto D" is a character-driven film. It works very well because of its sharp observations on loneliness and poignant gestures. The gestures evoke powerful feelings without necessitating dialogue. Many of the scenes, even the ones that do not necessarily advance the plot, are hypnotically beautiful in their simplicity. Take, for example, a beautiful scene where Umberto finally needs to beg for money but cannot physically bring himself to do it. He extends his palm up, but when a passer-by stops to give him money, Umberto quickly flips his hand over, as if testing for rain. The film is full of these small gestures that quietly emphasize the desperate loneliness and poignancy of Umberto's situation.

The acting in this film is absolutely superb. Carlo Battisti, despite having never acted before, is wonderful as the titular character; his face is a fascinating blend of stubborn dignity and weariness of life. Maria Pia-Casilio, who plays the maid, is just as good as evoking life's loneliness and quiet desperation. The supporting cast is also very strong.

One of the very few criticisms I have heard of this film is that it is too sentimental and borderline sappy. While some scenes with Umberto and his dog Flike are sentimental, never is it "too" sentimental. DeSica knows how far he can push his film without making it sappy, and he wisely shows it as it is. Nothing feels forced. The subject material itself and the simplicity in which it is presented will bring tears. (If you don't cry in this movie, you need to have your heart professionally de-thawed.) But "Umberto D" is never dumbed down into sappiness and clichéd corniness. It is a very powerful film.

"Umberto D" is the masterpiece of the Italian neo-realist era. Just the powerful and ambiguous ending alone is worth the price. It's a rather bleak and very realistic movie, but it makes some fascinating commentary on the human condition, specifically the loneliness we face. Highly, highly recommended. 5/5
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14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A relentlessly moving film, January 10, 2000
By A Customer
This review is from: Umberto D. [VHS] (VHS Tape)
It wouldn't be easy to find a film which is more relentlessly moving than Umberto D. Although it is a fairly simple story, the power of the images and characters will remain with the viewer long after the movie ends. The film effectively draws the viewer into the life and struggles of an old man and his dog as their condition becomes increasingly desperate. It is almost painful to watch at times but it is also one of the most beautiful and unforgettable films that I have seen.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Great film
Every good thing is already said about this film. For those who prefer special effects and "Gladiator" style action, it is obviously not a right choice. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Michael Bykov

4.0 out of 5 stars miserable loves misery
I feel Umberto D is one of the more sad characters in cinematic history. Even the extreme handicap, society rejects of Stroszek and Quasimodo reached out to their fellow humanity... Read more
Published 3 months ago by Russell E. Scott

5.0 out of 5 stars Old People & Unwanted Dogs
This was one of many European "Art House" films released in the U.S. in the middle to late 60's. It is a very simple B&W movie, with an easy plot, no surrealism or complicated,... Read more
Published 7 months ago by Jeff Farrow

5.0 out of 5 stars Great
Lost between the glare of his earlier The Bicycle Thief, and his later films with Sophia Loren, Vittorio De Sica's 1952 film Umberto D. Read more
Published 9 months ago by Cosmoetica

5.0 out of 5 stars Crushingly Sad.
I don't know what to say. I don't recall ever crying from a movie and I cried when I saw this picture. Read more
Published 13 months ago by Oth

5.0 out of 5 stars De Sica`s greatest work
This is one of the greatest works of Italian cinema.It is a lamentable chronicle of a poor retiree trying to maintain his dignity and hold on to his dog. Read more
Published 21 months ago by M. P. Brady

5.0 out of 5 stars Umberto D.
Portraying the plight of the elderly dispossessed in an acknowledged masterpiece of the neorealist style, De Sica's "Umberto D. Read more
Published on June 27, 2007 by John Farr

5.0 out of 5 stars A masterpiece of neorealism
Having seen the film I read a bit about it. The Criterion Collection provides a booklet with an excellent review by Stuart Klawans and a bit of an interview with director... Read more
Published on June 19, 2007 by Dennis Littrell

5.0 out of 5 stars A Masterpiece
Umberto D is a masterpiece of neo-realism with many interwoven stories, not just that of poor Umberto. Read more
Published on February 11, 2007 by Larry Stillman

2.0 out of 5 stars "Give up the man from Florence."
"Umberto D." is Vittorio De Sica's neorealistic examination of one elderly man's struggle to survive. Read more
Published on November 24, 2006 by Steven Y.

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