This neorealist masterpiece by Vittorio De Sica (Bicycle Thieves) follows the daily life of an elderly pensioner as he struggles to make ends meet during Italy’s postwar economic recovery.
Alone except for his dog, Flike, Umberto is determined to maintain his dignity in a city where human kindness seems to have been swallowed up by the forces of modernization. His simple quest to satisfy his most fundamental needs—food, shelter, companionship—makes for one of the most heart-breaking stories ever filmed, and an essential classic of world cinema.
Extras
High-definition digital restoration, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack
That’s Life: Vittorio De Sica, a fifty-five-minute documentary made for Italian television in 2001
Video interview with actress Maria Pia Casilio from 2003
Trailer
PLUS: A booklet featuring an essay by critic Stuart Klawans and reprinted recollections by De Sica and actor Carlo Battisti
