''The Children Are Watching Us'' ( it, I bambini ci guardano) is a 1943 Italian

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super- ...

directed by Vittorio De Sica.

Plot

Pricò is a young Italian boy who lives with his parents in a middle-class household. His mother, Nina, takes him to a local park where he enjoys his time out while watching a puppet show, but is also concerned with a handsome lover named Roberto (with whom Nina has shared a past romance) courting his mother while he is assumed to not be paying attention. As the boy returns home, the family has dinner while Pricò reflects on his day in the park. Later that night, after his mother puts him to bed, she runs off with the stranger, leaving Pricò's father distressed at the idea of having to raise his son himself. While their neighbors share a number of rumors concerning the disappearance of Nina, it is quickly agreed that she ran off with another man. While concerned with her disappearance, Nina quickly returns to the home after a few days for the sake of their son. While the father, Andrea, is not entirely pleased with this arrangement, he relents so that his son may grow up in the same house as his mother. To distance herself from Roberto, Nina and Andrea agree to go on vacation with their son to a nearby beach hotel. The vacation occupies their time, seemingly happy with the prospect of a reunion. After Andrea says that he must go back home to his job, he suggests that Nina stay with Pricò a few extra days that they may enjoy their time. After leaving, Nina is again pursued by Roberto who shows up unexpectedly at a hotel dance, at first successfully keeping him away. But after yielding to him once again, Pricò is dismayed by her lack of faith. After Pricò runs away, he is eventually brought back by the police officers while the hotel residents quickly start their own rumors as to the cause of his departing. After Pricò and his mother return to their home town, Nina tells him outside their home to go on up and that she'll be up after going on an errand. When Pricò goes to see his father upstairs, he and his father realize the truth of why Nina is not there. Again distressed at the elopement of his wife, Andrea enrolls Pricò in a boarding school. While his son is away, Andrea kills himself in despair. When Pricò is told of the death at the school, both his mother and faithful maid are there to comfort him. Though very young, Pricò understands the nature of his mother, refusing to go to her for comfort in favor of his maid. The film ends with Pricò walking off, refusing to acknowledge his mother.

Cast

Emilio Cigoli Emilio Cardi Cigoli (18 November 1909 – 7 November 1980) was an Italian actor and voice actor. Biography Cigoli was born in Livorno to actress Giovanna Cigoli. His grandfather worked as a silent film actor. He began his career on stage at ...

- Andrea - il padre *

Giovanna Cigoli Giovanna is an Italian feminine first name. It is the feminine counterpart of the masculine Giovanni, which in turn is the Italian form of John; it is thus the Italian equivalent of Jane, Joanna, Jeanne, etc. In Brazil, the feminine name Giova ...

- Agnese - la governante * Olinto Cristina - Il rettore - The Chancellor *

Luciano De Ambrosis Luciano De Ambrosis (born 28 March 1937) is an Italian actor and voice actor. Biography De Ambrosis was born in Turin, the youngest of four siblings. His father worked for the Italian automobile manufacturer Fiat. He made his film debut at onl ...

- Pricò *

Jone Frigerio Jone may refer to: * ''Jone'' (opera), an 1858 opera in four acts by Errico Petrella *Jonê County Jonê County (also ''Cone'', ''Chone'', ''Choni''; ; local pronunciation: /tɕɔLn� ) is an administrative district in the Gannan Tibetan Autonomou ...

- La nonna (as Ione Frigerio) *

Mario Gallina Mario Gallina (23 March 1889 – 26 September 1950) was an Italian actor and voice actor. Biography Gallina was born in Trieste, which was then a possession of Austria-Hungary (now Italy). He was the son of theatre actors Enrico Gallina and Elen ...

- Il medico *

Maria Gardena Maria Gardena (born Herthilde Gabloner; 1920 – 2008) was an Italian film actress and later architect. Herthilde Gabloner was the daughter of sculptor Ignaz Gabloner and studied architecture in Rome. During those years had a brief acting ca ...

- La signora Uberti * Zaira La Fratta - Paolina *

Armando Migliari Armando Migliari (29 April 1889 – 15 June 1976) was an Italian film actor. He appeared in 103 films between 1914 and 1965. He was born in Latium, Italy and died in Rome, Italy. Selected filmography * '' The Last of the Bergeracs'' (193 ...

- Il commendatore *

Guido Morisi Guido is a given name Latinised from the Old High German name Wido. It originated in Medieval Italy. Guido later became a male first name in Austria, Germany, the Low Countries, Scandinavia, Spain, Portugal, Latin America and Switzerland. The m ...

- Gigi Sbarlani *

Nicoletta Parodi Nicoletta is a surname and feminine given name derived from the Greek '' Nikolaos'', most often used in Italy, Sweden, Denmark and Norway. Nicoletta is also a surname. Given name * Nicoletta (singer), full name Nicoletta Grisoni, French singer ...

- Giuliana * Dina Perbellini - Zia Berelli * Isa Pola - Nina - la madre * Adriano Rimoldi - Roberto - l'amante di Nina *

Tecla Scarano Tecla Scarano (20 August 1894 – 22 December 1978) was an Italian actress and singer. She appeared in more than 30 films between 1937 and 1966. Life and career Born in Naples, the daughter of tenor Giovanni Moretti and operetta singer Anna ...

- La signora Resta (Mrs. Resta)

References

External links

* *
''The Children Are Watching Us: A Movement Is Born''
an essay by

Peter Brunette Peter Brunette (September 18, 1943 – June 16, 2010) was a film critic and film historian.Obituary '' Los Angeles Times'', June 22, 2010, page AA6. He was the author of several books, including biographies of Italian directors Roberto Rossellin ...

at the Criterion Collection {{DEFAULTSORT:Children Are Watching Us, The 1943 films 1943 drama films Italian black-and-white films 1940s Italian-language films Films about children Films about suicide Films directed by Vittorio De Sica Films with screenplays by Cesare Zavattini Italian drama films Films set in Italy Films scored by Renzo Rossellini 1940s Italian films