Umberto D. (1955)
Director: Vittorio De Sica
Starring: Carlo Battisti (Umberto Domenico Ferrari), Maria-Pia Casilio (Maria, la servetta), Lina Gennari (Antonia, la padrona di cas), Ileana Simova (La donna nella camera di Umberto), Elena Rea (La suora all' ospedale), Memmo Carotenuto (Il degente all' ospedale).
poor treatment of elderly in post-war depression
This movie is considered a masterpiece of the Italian Neorealistic cinema. It deals with the situation of a poor, elderly man. Umberto Domenico Ferrari is like many older people living on a fixed-income and, in his case, a dwindling state pension: decreasing ability to pay for the necessities of life. Umberto is desperate to get the funds to pay for his modest standard of living. He turns to renting his room out to prostitutes during the day to get the money. But his tyrannical landlady, who seems to get great pleasure out of Umberto's predicament, keeps hounding him to pay the rent that he increasingly can't afford to pay. He leads a bleak existence, with only a housemaid and his little dog for friends.
Historical Background:
See Ladri di biciclette (Bicycle Thief) (1949).
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