De Sica

Started by samuelclemens, October 15, 2003, 06:53:11 AM

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samuelclemens

Not sure if there is already a thread on him,
anyway, i've seen 'bicycle thief', 'umberto d.' and 'shoeshine', all of which were fucking great...i won't go into any kind of analysis, just wanted to know if anyone else share's my enthusiasm for this guy...
Stupid babies need the most attention!

rustinglass

I've only seen bycicle thief, its fantastic
"In Serbia a lot of people hate me because they want to westernise, not understanding that the western world is bipolar, with very good things and very bad things. Since they don't have experience of the west, they even believe that western shit is pie."
-Emir Kusturica

SHAFTR

Quote from: rustinglassI've only seen bycicle thief, its fantastic

ditto
"Talking shit about a pretty sunset
Blanketing opinions that i'll probably regret soon"

Gold Trumpet

A De Sica topic is indeed welcome. I, too, have been resigned to only seeing a few of his movies. Biycle Thief is gorgeous even if the location is very dry and dehumanizing. Umberto D, too, an excellent film, but parts of it don't really work. It is his barest work in the sense of Neo Realism and trying to capture the most minimalist approach, but parts of the movie extend too long on easy narrative that can be associated with any other movie. This argument directly relays to the scenes between the old man and the young woman. A lot of them carry a distracting tone of conventiality when the film is suppose to be his barest work; his most unflinching look at the bleakness capable in the Neo Realism movement. This is just minor bickering on my part.

I also watched most of The Garden of the Finzis Continas (sp?) a while back but never finished. I had no clue it was De Sica nor what he was capable of. I very much wish to see all that movie. Its been on IFC lately as if out of the blue. This is good because it gives me another chance but also intriguing, because as with other films, it may suggest a coming Criterion release on dvd for the film. Would make sense considering the placement of De Sica in the collection and the odd appearance of the film on IFC.

Also, I must welcome yet another new guy. And again, good taste in avatars. Hope you enjoy the place and learn to bring your opinion, because even your opinion at least gurantees another look at a good avatar.

~rougerum

godardian

I recently watched my Criterion disc of Terminal Station/Indiscretion of an American Wife. Both are quite good, actually; they're not terribly different, except that Selznick's version has a few more Hollywood-melodramatic touche, and de Sica's version is more involved and has a more lingering, probing, unhurried quality.

I've also seen Umberto D, but haven't seen Bicycle Thief or any of the others mentioned.
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SoNowThen

I was quite blown away with Umberto D. But I like stories with puppies, so what can I say?


BT was good too, but I liked Umberto way better.

I'd like to see some of his later stuff...
Those who say that the totalitarian state of the Soviet Union was not "real" Marxism also cannot admit that one simple feature of Marxism makes totalitarianism necessary:  the rejection of civil society. Since civil society is the sphere of private activity, its abolition and replacement by political society means that nothing private remains. That is already the essence of totalitarianism; and the moralistic practice of the trendy Left, which regards everything as political and sometimes reveals its hostility to free speech, does nothing to contradict this implication.

When those who hated capital and consumption (and Jews) in the 20th century murdered some hundred million people, and the poster children for the struggle against international capitalism and America are now fanatical Islamic terrorists, this puts recent enthusiasts in an awkward position. Most of them are too dense and shameless to appreciate it, and far too many are taken in by the moralistic and paternalistic rhetoric of the Left.

ShanghaiOrange

Vittorio De Sica? More like Runaway Audience!

But seriously, The Bicycle Theif is  8) .

:(
Last five films (theater)
-The Da Vinci Code: *
-Thank You For Smoking: ***
-Silent Hill: ***1/2 (high)
-Happy Together: ***1/2
-Slither: **

Last five films (video)
-Solaris: ***1/2
-Cobra Verde: ***1/2
-My Best Fiend: **1/2
-Days of Heaven: ****
-The Thin Red Line: ***

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Quote from: ShanghaiOrangeVittorio De Sica? More like Runaway Audience!

LOL......

Quote from: ShanghiaOrangeBut seriously, The Bicycle Theif is  8) .

:(

..i agree..Its also the onlyone I have seen

Ravi

I watched Umberto D tonight.  The only other De Sica film I've seen was The Bicycle Thief, so I don't yet have an idea about his body of work, but the style of Umberto D was more formal than BT.  It doesn't quite have BT's sense of realism because of this, but it still has that odd sense of realism.

meatwad

saw Miracle In Milan last night. it seemed to me that it was more of a film by Cesare Zavattini, who was the chief screenwriter and adapting his own book. This does not make me dislike the film at all. It has the common elements of neo-realism (war-torn Italy, the poor, humanistic qualties), but is mixed with an element of fantasy and comedy. Although the film was very funny, i still saw it as very bleak, especially the ending.

not his best, but worth a watch if you can find it. has anybody else seen it?