Umberto D

I love watching Italian movies...not because they are especially good, but because it is fun to watch the Italian people...they have so much character! It is also nice to realize that I can still understand some Italian from my year and a half in Italy. I think most foreign films have a very raw quality to them, and are very simple. They are not polished at all, and the actors are obviously not very experienced, but their performances are very heart felt and sincere (for the most part). Most of the actors in this film had never acted before, which contributes to the "raw" feeling. This movie centers around a retired government employee who is trying to make ends meet on the meager pension he receives each month. And, in addition to caring for his own needs, he has a dog (Flike), who is the love of his life. It is very touching how Umberto shares every meal and every joy in his life with Flike. This is one of those classic stories that discusses the tragedies that result from growing old and being alone.

My one major complaint about this film is its slow pace...I felt like there were so many moments in the film that just kept going on and on when it easily could have been condensed. I realize that the movie was only 91 minutes long, and it probably could have been 30 minutes shorter and I still would have gotten the message. I also understand that this movie was filmed during the time of Italian neorealism...which means that the slow pace and moments of seemingly pointless camera work were filmed that way for a reason. The neorealistic films focused on the poor, working class Italians in post-World War II society and their economic and moral struggles, and it is very common for the films of this era to use nonprofessional actors. Other films of this style include Ladri di Biciclette (The Bicycle Thief...which was a beautiful film), Roma, citta aperta (Rome, Open City...which was a very powerful film with some of the most heart wrenching scenes I have ever watched), and La Strada (The Street...which I was not particularly impressed with...and it did not really fit this genre to me because the acting seemed more silly than real). And I don't want to get political, but this movie shows some very interesting flaws of universal health care that I hope will be addressed before the government seriously considers it's implementation in the US of A. Overall, I believe this movie was an enjoyable watch that deserves 3 pigs.