Umberto D (1952)
James Anatidae
Wow, this is very depressing film. Part of it is that it isn't very hard to
imagine yourself ending up in the same situation. Alone, broke, and with
only a dog to keep you company.
Like most 'great' films, it's slow and requires patience, but the ending
makes it all worthwhile.
Anybody here have their own opinion?
--
"I believe that the value of the horse and the opportunity for the horse in
the future are likely to be as great as ever. Aeroplanes and tanks are only
accessories to the men and the horse, and I feel sure that as time goes on
you will find just as much use for the horse - the well-bred horse - as you
have ever done in the past."
- Sir Douglas Haig, Commander of British Expeditionary Force during World
War I, 1926
Wildwing's Storage Room
http://anatidae.homestead.com/frontdoor.html
scorsese
"James Anatidae" <pars...@citcom.net> wrote in message
news:b1i711$de6c$1...@news3.infoave.net...
Steve Oldham
<pars...@citcom.net> wrote:
>Saw this very early Saturday Morning on TCM.
>
>Wow, this is very depressing film. Part of it is that it isn't very hard to
>imagine yourself ending up in the same situation. Alone, broke, and with
>only a dog to keep you company.
>
>Like most 'great' films, it's slow and requires patience, but the ending
>makes it all worthwhile.
>
>Anybody here have their own opinion?
Since seeing 'The Bicycle Thief' and 'Umberto D.' I've become obsessed
with discovering this thing they call "Italian Neo-realism". It's how
I felt when I saw my first Bergman film or heard my first Dylan song.
<SPOILERS>
The way I see this film is, Umberto was driven to despair by the world
and it's cold ruthless requirements. His dog Flag, by squirming out of
his arms as the train approached, taught Umberto to choose life and
love where ever he may find it, rather than death. He's found his
victory over the world and, in his own way, he's found God much more
surely than most "pious" church going religious people could ever
understand. The question is: what happens, in a world that hates, to a
person that loves. The answer is either destruction (in one form or
another) or freedom. The freedom that Umberto has found won't look
like freedom to the world. He's still a poor struggling old man and
his dog but he's free of the millstone that the world put around his
neck and found his wings.
These films need to be seen in order to understand the difference
between cheap manipulation and honestly earned manipulation.
Steve
scorsese
"Steve Oldham" <stev...@earthlink.net> wrote in message
news:va8q3vkhuiofevuf6...@4ax.com...
Jacob Oost
I don't have an opinion. Haven't seen it. TCM always shows the movies I
want to see at 4 in the morning. Darn ya, TCM. Darn ya to heck!
--
"You can't teach film." --Nicholas Ray
John Harkness
wrote:
Oh, come on. that lament was perfectly fair back in the days when I
had to sit up till 2:45 am to catch Force of Evil on WPIX, but we have
VCRs and TIVO and everything nowadays. That's what they're for.
John Harkness
Jacob Oost
> X-No-Archive: Yes
>
>> >
>> I don't have an opinion. Haven't seen it. TCM always shows the movies I
>> want to see at 4 in the morning. Darn ya, TCM. Darn ya to heck!
>
> Are you still waiting for the whole Betamax vs.VHS thing to sort itself
> out?
>
> March 3, 11AM ET.
>
>
>
My VCR is broken and doesn't record anymore. I'm not going to buy a new
one. I'll just wait until I get a DVD burner.
John Harkness
wrote:
>Kingo Gondo wrote:
You're going to use a DVD burner to time shift broadcast movies?
There's an intelligent use of technology.
John Harkness
James Anatidae
juan juan juan juan juan
>
> Wow, this is very depressing film. Part of it is that it isn't very hard to
> imagine yourself ending up in the same situation. Alone, broke, and with
> only a dog to keep you company.
>
> Like most 'great' films, it's slow and requires patience, but the ending
> makes it all worthwhile.
>
wrong. the ending is so forgettable that i have forgotten it.
it is the rest of the movie that is interesting. rich. not 'slow'; far
too fast. every frame is so so rich i dunno how you can dare say it
slow. no no. for an adequate understanding on how to 'read' movies
like this one try 'disclosure of the everyday: undramatic achievement
in narrative film'. marvellous stuff, this book. thats the thing, if
only movies were read like books, only coz they arent, we get ppl
thinkin movies are slow. there. not good enough. go back to your
books. mill on the floss, oh yuk. spirit of the beehive, yippee.
Joanne Capella
> My VCR is broken and doesn't record anymore. I'm not going to buy a new
> one. I'll just wait until I get a DVD burner.
Geez, my VCR just died and I bought a new one for $70 (US). Not too
bad an investment. I too want a DVD recorder but this should tide me
over until they become more affordable.
In the mean time, you'll just have to settle for missing all the good
stuff TCM programs at 3 in the morning. I specifically bought my new
VCR so I could tape Josephine Baker's PRINCESS TAM TAM & ZOU ZOU,
which are being shown back to back on 2/7 at 4am EST.
Also, Umberto D. is my favorite "Italian Neo-realist" film. Yes, I
agree with Steve that it is a depressing film but it does end on a
hopeful note. I wish I had known it was broadcast last Saturday;
Iwould have taped it. I haven't seen it in about 4 years and would
have liked to have seen it again.
Joanne
larry legallo
<stev...@earthlink.net> wrote:
>On Sat, 1 Feb 2003 23:32:51 -0500, "James Anatidae"
><pars...@citcom.net> wrote:
>>
>>Anybody here have their own opinion?
>
>Since seeing 'The Bicycle Thief' and 'Umberto D.' I've become obsessed
>with discovering this thing they call "Italian Neo-realism".
For a variety of reasons, neo-realism has grown way out of favor with
a lot of critics and historians since the movement shook the world of
cinema many decades ago. If we can use Sight and Sound's Top Ten
Polls as a rough barometer of critical taste, consider that Bicycle
Thieves, #1in the 1952 poll, was #45 in the latest survey (still the
highest of the neo-realist films). La Terra Trema, #9 in 1962, did
not receive a single vote last year.
It's true that the theories behind neo-realism don't hold up well to
even minor intellectual scrutiny, but, perhaps like yourself, I don't
really care. The films still manage to choke me up, almost despite
myself.
I think one of the other factors for its relatively scarce respect
among later generations is the peculiar lack of video availability of
so many of the films for such a long time. Perhaps the DVD releases
of Shoeshine, Germany Year Zero, Ossessione, La Terra Trema (all bare
bones issues, but still) and others will help revive interest in the
genre.
And hopefully we'll see the Umberto D (not to mention Paisan) DVD in
the near future.