Umberto D. (The Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray]

One of the classics of Italian neorealism is among the best and is a personal favourite. The bittersweet story of a lonely old man on the verge of eviction with his constant companion, an adorable boisterous terrier, and the bond they form with a teenage servant girl. Dismissed by a Roman society under construction, their futures are uncertain. Director Vittorio De Sica vividly portrays post-war Rome with an emphasis on the human relationships made when alone and navigating daunting city life. Often described as sad, I would say depressing but entertaining is a bit more accurate, as this is not sappy or manipulative like a Hollywood movie might be, but more focused on the sad living situations and poor quality of life with a few indispensable doses of subtle humor. Maybe for sentimental reasons, I have long felt that Flike the dog (memorably descibed as "small- but mean!" ) is one of cinema's great canines. Highly recommended, and strongly suggested as a companion to De Sica's more famous, but similar film, Bicycle Thieves, as well as other contemporary classics such as Rome: Open City, or I Vitelloni. Criterion's Blu Ray looks excellent and contains a couple of extras, an interview and a documentary on the director.

The reviews were very accurate on this film. The main character is a sweet and gentle man not making ends meet financially and living in a brothel managed by a nasty, somewhat inhumane wealthy woman who's bent on evicting him. He's late on rent and she refuses to take any form of partial payment but wants full payment which he doesn't have. He is bent on staying. She is bent on renovating. This sweet man goes through trial after trial even to the point where his trusted companion (his dog) turned on him. Plenty of sadness, quietly portrayed. Interesting relationship between him and the young woman in the brothel who tried to care for him in her capacity. Very true to life to this day and age where people simply do not take time to look out for their fellow man. Watching it once was enough for me. Very good actors/actresses and a timeless story. To me, the ending left things up in the air. Was disappointed in not knowing how he survived after all the heartbreaking turmoil. I wanted to adopt him ten times over.

Nothing prepared me for this incredibly wonderful film Moving, tragic really, and yet one identifies with Battisti throughout. His dog is a key character, and anyone who has ever had a pet will empathize here. Stunning neo-realismo photography frames every scene in textures that are coincident with the man's predicament. All truth seems an illusion, false at last.Buy this film,,you will watch it many times.

I had seen this a while back and was never able to get it out of my mind. As we watch this impoverished senior go through his trials with little money and only the companionship of his dog Flike, it is just heartbreaking and sometimes difficult to watch. A black-and-white portrait of post-war Italy is incredibly well done by Director Vittorio De Sica, apparently with few professional actors. I was sad to see that this film was so reviled in Italy (the politicians apparently thought it would damage Italy's image). Fortunately, the US was the one country which found an audience for this film and it received a well-deserved Oscar Nomination for writing. It's difficult to say that I "loved" this film; but it is definitely one of the best of the 50s...it never fails to bring tears to my eye. A great and powerful film!

This movie is on a par with Bergman's best films: The Seventh Seal, The Virgin Springs, and Wild Strawberries. It treats the existential question of loneliness and age in a similar way, and with similar depth.At the end of the film, I felt like my innards had been sucked out of me and deposited on the floor, and that I was essentially a formless sack of skin like something out of a Dali painting.Umberto D. is a triumph of cinema, profoundly treating ageing, loneliness, and the power of love. A timeless classic.

This is an excellent film about a retired man trying to gather enough money to pay his rent before he is evicted. He begins to fall ill and after he recovers, he searches for his missing dog. The story explores Umberto's plight with acute observation as he realizes he will most likely lose his apartment.Overall, this is a well made film that captures the struggle of everyday people. The Blu-Ray version is stunningly clear and sharp. I highly recommend this film.

I ordered the supposed Multi-format. I received the Blu-ray. After researching on the internet, I do not think this movie is available as Multi-format. That format should be removed as an option

De Sica made this film in memory of his father, however, it could be about any old man that enters retirement with a limited budget. This story revolves around Umberto, a retired city administrator, and his financial predicament. The few that care about Umberto are unfortunately unable to provide help, which forces Umberto to find temporary fixes to his monetary problem. These decisions affect him and his beloved dog, Flag, as they struggle together through this tragedy. In post-war Italy, De Sica creates this neo-realistic story that offers much food for thought as well as a brilliant cinematic experience that the audience will not forget.

One of De Sica's and Italian (and probably Cinema) best films ever.Umberto D tells about Italy in the hard and heavy moment of the post-war re-building, and in a way show a pain and a drama (I would say "tragedy) that the establishment did not want people to know then. They were all focused on telling another story, that of upcoming social and national improvement, while De Sica decided to adopt the neo-realistic approach and add an emotional and touching drama (that make this film a perfect mix of neo-realism and more personal, almost literary touch) to convey a bleak, sad vision of the current world.But this film is much more "universal", because it talks about solitude, unjustice and the sadness of getting old.And by telling that, De Sica shows his heart (the D in the title refers to his last name: this film is also a tribute to his beloved father), and creates a masterpiece that is not inferior to the great Bycicle Thieves, and also compete with Ozu's Tokyo Story and few other films for the best dramatic films ever made. Umberto D is like life: with no mercy but still a celebration of human being, who can reach out to what really counts when everything seem lost (one's own dignity or dog), and reminds us that the soul and the sensibility is the only thing that makes us noble. And De Sica, like his character, has proved it through this wonderful film.

A classic masterpiece

A sublime tale of a government pensioner, by the name of Umberto Domenico Ferrari (played brilliantly by Carlo Battisti) in the post-war Italy. Times were difficult, the rate of unemployment was very high, riots were constant among the population and the economy of Italy was decaying.In such times Umberto D. had only one objective: survive. He and he's only friend a dog named Flike.Along with "Bycicle Thieves" (from the same director Vittorio De Sica) and Roberto Rosselini's "Rome: Open City" this drama is one of the three kings of Italian Neorealism. Highly recommended.

Lovely tale of a gentle man whos misfotune it is to be elderly and to whom very few seem to show respect. Could almost be a clip from a period of one's own life at a late stage. Moving.

a powerful drama, many thanks, David.