Umberto D

Send us Fan MailI’ve made fun of film sequels, universes, and series on the pod, accusing Hollywood of taking anything that’s successful and knocking it off repeatedly, for the dollars. As well as the yuan; many of the cinematic universes are action/hero/comic book films, which are short on plot and long on thrills and special effects, thus not needing extended passages of subtitled exposition. Which is not to excuse Hollywood, don’t get me wrong! It’s a lousy use of film, talent, and time, but I suppose an adequate way to make money. But allow me --- I’d like today to look at the end of an arc, a sort of sequel, if I may, on this pod. It’s 1952’s Umberto D, from the last of the era of Italian Neorealism. It’s the antithesis of an action universe film, as very little occurs during the story. But it does sum one director’s study of the ages of man --- Vittorio De Sica. Website and blog: www.thosewonderfulpeople.comBluesky: @wonderfulpeople.bsky.social