The Doorway to Hell (1930) Review: The Good, The Bad & How to Watch American Film, Crime, Drama Academy Awards, 1931- Nominee: Best Writing, Original Story The early 1930s in Hollywood were marked by a frantic, electric energy as the industry found its voice—literally. In the middle of this transition, a gritty little gem called The Doorway to Hell slipped into theaters, offering a blueprint for the gangster epics that would soon dominate the silver screen. While it often sits in the shadow of the titans that followed, this film captures a specific, raw moment in cinematic history that feels surprisingly modern even today. More on Wikipedia or Mubi The Brutal Elegance of The Doorway to Hell At its heart, the story follows a young gang leader who attempts to trade the chaos of the underworld for a quiet, respectable life. It is a classic American tragedy wrapped in the smoke of a speakeasy. The narrative leans heavily into the irony of a man trying to es...
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Umberto D. (1952) Italian Film, Neoralist Film, Tragedy, Drama
Official Selection
Umberto D. ) is a 1952 Italian neorealist film directed by Vittorio De Sica. Most of the actors were non-professional, including Carlo Battisti who plays the title role of Umberto Domenico Ferrari, a poor elderly man in Rome who is desperately trying to keep his rented room. His landlady (Lina Gennari) is evicting him and his only true friends, the housemaid (Maria-Pia Casilio) and his dog Flike (called 'Flag' in some subtitled versions of the film) are of no help.
According to Robert Osborne of Turner Classic Movies, this was De Sica's favorite of all his films. The movie was included in TIME magazine's "All-TIME 100 Movies" in 2005. The film's sets were designed by Virgilio Marchi. In 2008, the film was included on the Italian Ministry of Cultural Heritage’s 100 Italian films to be saved, a list of 100 films that "have changed the collective memory of the country between 1942 and 1978."
Umberto Ferrari, aged government-pensioner, attends a street
demonstration held by his fellow pensioners. The police dispense the
crowd and Umberto returns to his cheap furnished room which he shares
with his dog Flick. Umberto's lone friend is Maria, servant of the
boarding house. She is a simple girl who is pregnant by one of two soldiers, and neither will admit to being the father. When Umberto's
landlady Antonia demands the rent owed her and threatens eviction if she
is not paid, Umberto tries desperately to raise the money by selling
his books and watch. He is too proud to beg in the streets and can not
get a loan from any of his acquaintances. He contracts a sore throat, is
admitted to a hospital, and this puts a delay on his financial
difficulty. Discharged, he finds that his dog is gone and, following a
frantic search, locates him in the city dog pound. His room has been
taken over by the landlady and the now-homeless Umberto determines to
find a place for his beloved dog, and then kill himself. Unsuccessful,
he resolves that his dog must die with him, and he stands in the path of a
train, with his dog in his arms. More on Wikipedia or Mubi
Cannes Film Festival, 1952- Official Selection Academy Awards, 1957- Nominee: Best Writing, Motion Picture Story Locarno International Film festival, 2007- official selection Viennale, 2015- official Selection Top 100 Italian Movies Trailer
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