Review of The Roof

Having seen the amazing three masterpieces - Ladri Di Biciclette, Miracolo a Milano and Umberto D. - which De Sica made in a row, I was a bit worried that his formula could be worn out, that by '56 neorealism would be dead. I was worried that I'd grown apathetic to his tragic fates and epic portraits of the working class.. but I was WRONG! The characters in this movie are simply too real -- and most likely, they are real, since often De Sica didn't use pro actors, and none of the actors have a prior acting history according to IMDb). Growing tired of his formula would be the same as growing tired of people, stories and destinies all together. It doesn't take long for these poor Italians to win sympathy and capture emotions, and in those 8 years from Ladri di Biciclette and to Il Tetto, De Sica may not have changed his focus from the tragic lives in the lowest classes of Italian post-war history, but he's certainly gone from being just a bit over-the-top on how bad everything can get (which isn't necessarily bad) to an even more modest story. A story that could sound dull if retold with only words, but told in the hands of the genius De Sica, it becomes another gem. If you like anything else that he's made, you'll like this one, too. It's honest, it's historical, it's political, it's human, it's beautiful and more than any of his other movies, Il Tetto does shine a light for the poor.