Blessed with debonair good looks, Vittorio De Sica was a dashing stage performer before he conquered the world of cinema. Along with screenwriter Cesare Zavattini, the auteur spearheaded the Italian neorealist movement, which emerged from the rubble of the nation’s postwar disillusionment and economic hardship. Frequently cited as one of the greatest films of all time, Bicycle Thieves (1948) pioneered the use of nonprofessional actors and on-location shooting to highlight the quiet everyday tragedies faced by a neglected working class. Similarly centering the impossibility of social mobility in a country divided by an unbridgeable wealth gap, the modern-day fable Miracle in Milan (1951) introduces elements of fantasy into its gritty portrayal of the realities of poverty, reflecting De Sica’s versatility as a filmmaker.

In addition to these canonized classics, our special also includes two hidden gems which bookend De Sica’s neorealist period. Once dismissed as a run-of-the-mill studio drama, A Garibaldian in the Convent (1942) provides a crucial link between the country’s pre- and postwar cinema. Playing fast and loose with historical accuracy, De Sica enlivened the paradoxes of convent school life with a healthy dose of comedy, a quality that is always present even in his most shattering works. Another collaboration with Zavattini, The Roof (1956) marks the tail end of the neorealist vogue. Revolving around a young couple who struggle to find a room of their own, this neglected masterwork is noteworthy for its emphasis on the development of high-rise apartment buildings, an architectural indicator of the Italian economic boom which would later inspire De Sica’s commedia all’italiana satires. Rich in their cultural significance, these crown jewels bear witness to the changing faces of a nation.