Jeanskynebu the audience applauded

Gurlyndrobb While it doesn't offer any answers, it both thrills and makes you think.

Seraherrera The movie is wonderful and true, an act of love in all its contradictions and complexity

Patience Watson One of those movie experiences that is so good it makes you realize you've been grading everything else on a curve.

runamokprods Terribly sad neo-realist tale of a young cop assigned to take two kids to an orphanage, and the bond that grows between them, with unexpected results. Perhaps a bit manipulative in the middle (the damaged kids respond a little too quickly to the cop's kindness), and the lead actor has his awkward moments along with some very strong ones (all three leads were non-professional actors). But the two kids are remarkable for their ages, and the uncompromised honesty of the ending makes up for a few convenient twists, and 'easy' transitions. Overall a powerful and moving film full of humanity, it's shocking and sad to think this modern classic is essentially unavailable on video in the United States.

Polaris_DiB A young carabiniere is asked to transport two young children from the north of Italy to the south--the opposite of the usual migration of souls in that land. The reason is that the eleven-year-old girl and her brother are left without parents and kicked out of their "institution" because the girl was sold as a prostitute by her mother for two years. The man who goes with them is the usual lonely adult stuck on a road trip with children he doesn't understand, but this is no "Are We There Yet?" because the children are deeply damaged and searching for family, and the man has to deal with his own nomadism.The road is, in fact, hardly ever far from view/sound. It intercuts through the frame, the story, and even the sound. While the three characters travel, the instability of modern (or post-modern) Italy is shown in some pretty stunning displays of blocking by the director. Meanwhile, society, capitalism, and Catholicism are deeply criticized, and the characters' attempts to build and found a family are met with equal resistance from institution and law, and the pure prejudice of others. The title'd have you believe that the carabiniere stole the children, but the children were stolen from their childhood long before the movie starts. All that's left for them is each other, and the task of this drama is to get them to realize that at the sacrifice of a young man who was ill-prepared to handle them but ends up giving them a great gift of kindness.--PolarisDiB

clotblaster This marvelous film deals with a topic, exploitation of children (euphimism), that is difficult on viewers. All over the world bad things are happening to young people who can not control their own lives because they are children. The innocents tainted in this world will become saints and dwell in Heaven with Our Father. No, this film isn't about religion per se. But it is about the struggle and the triumph of humans over their sometimes miserable, but always radiant, terrible difficulties. The adult who has to deal with the two abandoned children is marvelously played and his growth as a human being in the sense of doing the right thing, rather than just "following orders" is a great performance. The leading character is an 11-12 year old girl who I understand was not an actress before performing in this film. I could open a floodgate of positive adjectives and remarks about her performance, but let's just say that she play her role so authentically and underplays, which is necessary, the plight of her character, where the underplaying is simply the character being herself in a world she endures,and must accept, but is one no one would choose. I hope that viewers will remember (and if they don't, watch the movie again) the final scene where she tries to give her brother hope and show the viewer that even the worst world can be inhabited and experienced with at least some joy--sometimes only a tiny measure of happiness is all we can get in our lives, but still we must savor it.Many people complain that so and so movie is not on DVD etc., but this film was released on VHS for a short time in the early 90's and only a few copies are on the market at a fairly high price--the film should be transferred to DVD by Criterion or someone (I wish I knew how). Buy the VHS and watch a movie that points the way, as almost no movie really does, to the real, complex, harmful, and sometimes wonderful world that exists beyond the movie.

Jayce-3 'Il Ladro Di Bambini' is one of the most moving pieces of cinema I've ever seen, and it reminds me so clearly why I love film. I've just seen it, and I'm still very emotional over what I saw. The children play the roles perfectly, and Enrico Lo Verso's performance is brilliant as well. It's such a simple film actually, but so incredibly powerful. The scene where Luciano tells Antonio that he'll come looking for him as soon as he's turned 15, no matter where he is, made me cry. This is a true, honest film about trust, that I will treasure for a long time to come.