The Children Are Watching Us (1944)

The Children Are Watching Us (“I bambini ci guardano”)
Directed by Vittorio De Sica
Written by Cesare Giulio Viola, Vittorio De Sica et al
1944/Italy
Invicta Film/Scalera Film S.p.a.
First viewing/Netflix rental

[box] I had a really good childhood up until I was nine, then a classic case of divorce really affected me. — Kurt Cobain [/box]

Vittorio De Sica makes a sad and beautiful film about how parents can never really hide anything from the children.

Prico is an adorable, sensitive six-year-old only child.  By the time the story starts, it is clear all is not well in his family.  Prico’s mother clearly loves him yet expects him to play happily while she is meeting her lover, Roberto, in the park.  During this assignation, the lover gives the mother an ultimatum.  She must decide today whether to leave her husband.  She makes the wrong choice casting her husband into despair.  He at first parks Prico with the mother’s sister and then with his own mother.  Everybody Prico stays with is under the impression that he does not have ears and merrily proceeds to talk about their private business and that of his parents.  Prico’s grandmother, for one, can hardly stand to have the boy around believing that he “takes after his mother”.  Prico loves his mother and is so damaged by the experience that he becomes seriously ill with a fever. Mom comes home to care for him.

Dad takes her back, at first saying that it is only for the sake of the child.  The lover continues to hound the mother.  If only she would have gotten a temporary restraining order!  He shows up at the house and Prico goes into hysterics.

Then Dad starts to try to make things right.  He spends more than he can afford on a family vacation to a seaside resort.  They all appear to have a terrific time though various men are surreptitiously eyeing the beautiful mother with lust. Dad must return to work leaving his wife and son behind.  Sure enough, Roberto manages to locate mother and son.  I will not  reveal more except that it should be clear this story does not have a happy ending.

Vittorio De Sica clearly had a special gift for directing children.  The performance of young Luciano de Ambrosis is heartbreaking.  But this is more than just another melodrama.  It, with Osessione and Roma, Cita Abierto is one of the seminal works of Italian Neo-Realism.  Elegantly shot, this is a story that could actually have happened, and is probably happening somewhere every day.  It is told with a kind of clear-eyed detachment that only makes it more moving. Highly recommended.

Clip (no subtitles)