Il Boom

press release:

Italy | 1963 | DCP | 88 min. | Italian with English subtitles

Director: Vittorio De Sica

Cast: Alberto Sordi, Gianna Maria Canale, Elena Nicolai

Collaborators on neorealist classics like Umberto D and Bicycle Thieves, De Sica and screenwriter Cesare Zavattini joined forces again for this jet-black satire of Italy’s post-war economic “boom.” The great comic actor Sordi stars as a seriously in-debt schlub who contemplates an offer from a wealthy matron (Nicolai) that will make him wealthy in exchange for...shall we say, something very precious to him. Shown only a handful of times in the U.S., this beautiful new restoration provides a chance to see one of De Sica’s best movies from his commedia all’Italiana period.

SUMMER SELECTIONS: For your summer viewing pleasure, the Cinematheque programming team has carefully curated this selection of international film classics and rediscovered gems, plus a restored Marx Bros. masterpiece and the first local area screening of a great new documentary.

All Cinematheque screenings are free and open to the public.