SCFZ poll: Vittorio De Sica

[flip]

Polling the films of director Vittorio De Sica

The rules:

- your list can include no more than half of the De Sica films you've seen, up to a maximum of 5. So if you've seen seven of his films, for example, you can list only a top 3. It's only if you've seen ten or more of his films than you can list the maximum of five.

- i'll assume ballots are ranked unless you tell me otherwise. unranked ballots are fine.

- deadline for ballots: next Tuesday, in seven days, whatever day that is

- if anyone is watching films for these polls, then i'll extend the deadline three days, if someone requests an extension

- next poll: whoever posts the first ballot in this thread is free to nominate the director we poll next, unless you've nominated in this round already (everyone should get a chance). Already nominated this round: greg x, rischka, dt, silga, kanafani, brian d, greennui, ofrene, mesnalty, john ryan, roscoe, evelyn, thoxans, bure, oscarwerner, arkheia, caracortada

umbugbene created an index on letterboxd of all of our previous polls here: letterboxd.com/umbugbene/list/index-of-all-scfz-director-polls/

one rule for nominees: at least 3 scfzers need to have seen 10+ of a nominee's films, or at least 4 scfzers need to have seen at least 8 of the nom's films, so if it isn't clear if that will be the case, we'll confirm that's true before moving forward

if 24 hours pass after a poll opens, and no one eligible to nominate has posted a ballot, then i'll nominate someone, and then we'll start over, and everyone will be able to nominate again

[flip]

only seen four:

Miracle in Milan
The Bicycle Thief

[mesnalty]

Seen 5:

1. Bicycle Thieves
2. Miracle in Milan

[Curtis, baby]

Seen 5

Bicycle thivs

[karl]

I don't usually do these, but this is one of my favorite directors, so...

Seen 13. My favorites are the common favorites: Umberto D., Bicycle Thieves, Shoeshine. So to expand the list somewhat, 5 less known gems:

A Brief Vacation
The Children Are Watching Us
The Condemned of Altona
The Gold of Naples
The Gate of Heaven


(That's 5. A pity there's no space for The Roof)

[ItsUhhMee]

Seen 9

Bicycle Thieves
Shoeshine
Umberto D

Original list, eh? I still need to see Miracle in Milan, but, that looks extremely promising. Probably very soon for this one.

[flip]

karl - if you'd like to, you can pick the director we poll next!

[...]

Seen 17. I was on a real De Sica kick for a while, and like his movies maybe more than is entirely reasonable by any attempt at explanation. Which is to say the pleasures of the whole outweigh the recognizable faults in detail I guess particularly when it comes to just enjoying how he captures even otherwise potentially off-putting relationships in their specific environment.

Woman Times Seven
Bicycle Thieves
A Brief Vacation
Terminal Station
Marriage Italian Style

[ofrene]

seen 2 and vote less famous one

The Garden of the Finzi-Continis

[kanafani]

Bicycle Thieves
Umberto D

[karl]

karl - if you'd like to, you can pick the director we poll next!

I dunno who's been done.

[thoxans]

umberto d.

*seen three (coincidentally, just watched bicycle thieves over the weekend, and i was pleasantly surprised it's one of those classics that actually deserves that designation)

[Silga]

karl - if you'd like to, you can pick the director we poll next!

I dunno who's been done.

Karl, you can find the list on letterboxd:

letterboxd.com/umbugbene/list/index-of-all-scfz-director-polls/

[brian d]

seen 6

umberto d
yesterday, today, and tomorrow
bicycle thieves

[Roscoe]

BICYCLE THIEVES
TWO WOMEN
GOLD OF NAPLES

[karl]

Karl, you can find the list on letterboxd:

letterboxd.com/umbugbene/list/index-of-all-scfz-director-polls/

That there's a long list, but I don't think I saw Mizoguchi... Odd that no one's thought of nominating the greatest director that ever was, so hey: I do.

[brian d]

Karl, you can find the list on letterboxd:

letterboxd.com/umbugbene/list/index-of-all-scfz-director-polls/

That there's a long list, but I don't think I saw Mizoguchi... Odd that no one's thought of nominating the greatest director that ever was, so hey: I do.

we did rivette in week 24. you must have accidentally overlooked him.

[john ryan]

Seen 14

1. Umberto D.
2. Bicycle Thieves
3. Miracle in Milan
4. Shoeshine
5. Two Women

[flip]

yeah, mizoguchi is one of the major omissions from a polling schedule so far - so mizoguchi will be our next poll!

[Caracortada]

Seen 15. One of the founders of Italian neorealism, but he also has some delightful comedies to his name - in which he sometimes appears as an actor.

1. Bicycle Thieves
2. Umberto D.
3. Yesterday, Today and Tommorow
4. Teresa Venerdì
5. Shoeshine

Worst: After the Fox

[oscarwerner]

Seen 12.
1. Umberto D. (1952)
2. Bicycle Thieves (1948)
3. Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow (1963)
4. The Garden of the Finzi-Continis (1971)
5. Shoeshine (1946)

[St. Gloede]

Seen 11.

The Garden of the Finzi-Continis
Bicycle Thieves
Umberto D
Two Women
The Children Are Watching Us


Most notable films yet to see:

Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow
Marriage Italian-Style

[St. Gloede]

Seen 15. One of the founders of Italian neorealism, but he also has some delightful comedies to his name - in which he sometimes appears as an actor.

Also worth pointing out that he got started as an actor, and from what I understand was quite popular.

It was at first very hard to connect him as a director to the "adorable heartrob" persona in romcoms from the 30s.

[Umbugbene]

Seen 19

1. Miracle in Milan
2. Il boom
3. The Last Judgment

My memory of the rest is fuzzy, so I'll stop there. Mizoguchi's a good pick... glad to get him out of the way because it makes my next choice easier.

[Evelyn Library P.I.]

Seen 3.

1. Maddalena… zero in condotta

[MatiasAlbertotti]

Seen 2.

Bicycle Thieves

[wba2]

1. Umberto D. (1952)

De Sica seen: 3

[flip]

i don't imagine anyone will find the winner surprising, but i was a bit surprised (in the good way) that we got votes for 19 different films:

results

1. The Bicycle Thief (1948) -- 35 pts
2. Umberto D (1952) -- 24 pts
3. Miracle in Milan (1951) -- 9 pts
4. A Brief Vacation (1973) -- 8 pts
4. Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow (1963) -- 8 pts
4. The Garden of the Finzi-Continis (1970) -- 8 pts
7. Shoeshine (1946) -- 6 pts
8. The Children Are Watching Us (1944) -- 5 pts
8. Two Women (1960) -- 5 pts
8. Woman Times Seven (1967) -- 5 pts
11. The Condemned of Altona (1962) -- 3 pts
11. The Gold of Naples (1954) -- 3 pts
13. Terminal Station (1953) -- 2 pts
13. Il Boom (1963) -- 2 pts
13. Teresa Venerdi (1941) -- 2 pts
16. Maddalena, Zero for Conduct (1940) -- 1 pt
16. The Gate of Heaven (1945) -- 1 pt
16. The Last Judgment (1961) -- 1 pt
16. Marriage Italian Style (1964) -- 1 pt

[flip]

published to letterboxd:

https://letterboxd.com/fliptrotsky/list ... -poll-108/