Shoe-Shine aka Sciuscià | Vittorio De Sica, 1946
There is a strange twinship between the two films - The Children are Watching Us (I Bamini ci Guardano) and Shoe-Shine (Sciuscià) – made by Vittorio De Sica during the forties. The former deals with Rome in its pre-war state, 1942, whereas the latter focuses on post-war life; the earlier of the two is the tale of a helpless child born into high society, whereas the later film follows two headstrong adolescents who have grown up in poverty. Pasquale and Giuseppe are shoe-shine boys of Rome, one of them is without family yet both manage to support one another and those around them with the paltry salary they garner. As with most adolescents they have a dream; the dream to one day own a horse and ride it double through the centre of their city. This horse is no ordinary beast however, Bersagliere (meaning the member of a rifle regiment) is the picture of simple longing and perfect example of beauty in ravaged surroundings. Thanks to some smuggling of black market goods for Giuseppe’s older brother they manage to reach their monetary target earlier than expected, allowing their dream to be realised. This happiness is short-lived, however, as the duo are recognised by a mark and sent quickly to the local boys’ prison where they are then swiftly separated, dreams crushed. Thanks to the intentions of an evil prison director played by Emilio Cigoli (who also appeared in The Children are Watching Us) and some shady youths our pair of protagonists find it difficult to keep quiet.
Shoe-Shine is widely considered as De Sica’s first genuine foray into Neorealism, and while I would agree with this to a point it is again rather a a dramatic vision rather than a realistic one. No parents are ever detailed in the film and this is a conscious decision by De Sica, as his only other persons of authority are the wily jail manager and judge that the boys must plead their case against – parents are another species entirely. Ultimately, Shoe-Shine is a tale of friendship above all else: these kids have no notable guardians and so find a deep find solace in their own street brotherhood. De Sica also takes care to illustrate how fascist ways are yet to be wiped completely from society, despite the movement dying several years beforehand. The place that the boys are unceremonially dumped in for their crimes follows all the traits of this regime, and the prison inspector can be even seen to give an involuntary salute as he oversees proceedings. All these details are set against a backdrop of war-crushed Rome and designed to bring spirits to the floor, with the innocent Pasquale and Giuseppe used to represent the humanity surrounded by this overbearing inhumanity. Shoe-Shine is undoubtedly a critical piece of work and one that does well to depict Rome at such a time. If one can appreciate the somewhat staged feeling that it brings forth, the film is also a very rewarding experience. A touching, often tragic tale of companionship that seeks to overcome such dark times.
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