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Umberto D. (1952)
Battisti did not play Umberto D. Battisti was Umberto D. This is one of those rare performances which have only occured several times since the dawn of the cinema- one which is so genuine, so complete, so radically human that to call it acting would seem insulting. There is a daring pathos to De Sica's character study, and his efforts pay off. The director's neo-realist style lends itself nicely to the film; we're so close that at times we feel invasive and at times we feel we might extend an arm to this lonely man. His every worry is ours, and his presence fills us with all the knowledges and experiences we've never had before. There is a tragic urgency to the pace of the picture and it kept me frantic and on edge, as if I was watching reality unfold before me and needed a happy resolution for this old friend of mine before the running time of the film expired. While De Sica certainly is not afraid to venture the depths of sorrow and loneliness, he refuses to do it without a constant eye on the strength of the human spirit.
I actually prefer this to Wild Strawberries, a film along the same vein and theory.
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