The unemphatic acting of Carlo Battisti and Maria Pia Casilio falls perfectly into place. It ls a brave film and, again, a disturbing one.

Not since France, before the war, sent us The End of the Day has a film honorably faced the fact of old age. This is the subject, probingly, beautifully detailed in [Umberto D.].

Vittorio De Sica's memorable ''Umberto D'' seems more sentimental now, but as you stay with it, the small story grows to a most moving climax.

It’s a painfully realistic film that refuses to shy away from depicting how harrowing poverty is. It’s an accurate representation of what it’s like to struggle to meet one’s basic needs for food, shelter, and companionship.