Movie No. 102 (2013): THE WALLS OF MALAPAGA

The Walls of Malapaga (1949)
Director: Rene Clement
Cast: Jean Gabin, Isa Miranda
In French and Italian, with English subtitles

Pierre, a French man, is wanted for killing his lover. The movie starts with Pierre coming out of his hiding place, which is aboard a ship, to seek medical assistance from a dentist in Genoa, Italy. A young girl takes him to the dentist; he gets involved with the girl's mother. Then his plans change.

The movie, which is set in post-war Italy, is an example of neorealist cinema. The black and white cinematography and the milieu work wonders in complementing the characters' psyche. The movie may not be the best output from the neorealism movement but it's definitely worth seeing.

The film won honorary Best Foreign Language Film at the Academy Awards in 1950.

Rating: 3.5/4.0

Date seen: April 23, 2013

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