Umberto D. (1952)

IMDb plot summary: An elderly man and his dog struggle to survive on his government pension in Rome.

Directed by Vittorio De Sica. Starring Carlo Battisti, Maria Pia Casilio, and Lina Gennari.

Umberto D. is an Italian film by Vittorio Di Sica about an elderly man who finds himself and his dog being kicked out of their apartment for being behind in rent payments. We watched Umberto try various ways of raising money or finding new solutions, but everything seems to end badly. This is the kind of film that I wouldn't have expected myself to like -- a slow meditative look at one man's quiet despair. But it works for me. I think part of what I appreciate so much about it is how well it sets up all these little details that don't pay off until later on. The first half of the film shows the man going about his daily life, and then when things start going especially badly, we see the smaller signs of all those little things falling apart. Despite being such a sad narrative, it actually ends with quite a bit more of a hopeful tone than I'd have expected, and that also went a long way for me toward feeling like I got something out of the movie. This was a surprising gem that I found powerful and moving, and I'm very glad that I finally got to it.

How it entered my Flickchart:

Umberto D. > Corpse Bride

Umberto D. > Kuroneko

Umberto D. > The Legend of 1900

Umberto D. < Deathtrap

Umberto D. < Dick Tracy

Umberto D. > Romancing the Stone

Umberto D. > Strange Days

Umberto D. < The Sunshine Boys (1975)

Umberto D. < Dead Again

Umberto D. < The World's End

Umberto D. < The Lego Movie

Umberto D. < Belle

Final spot: #377 out of 3725, or 90%.