Themes: Class Differences, Journey of Self-Discovery, Kids in Trouble
Main Cast: Enrico Lo Verso, Valentina Scalici, Giuseppe Ieracitano, Florence Darel, Marina Golovine
Release Year: 1992
Country: CH/IT/FR
Run Time: 108 minutes
Plot
A self-described son of neorealism, director Gianni Amelio utilized non-professional actors, authentic locations, and unadorned filmmaking techniques to create this honest, uncompromising look at modern Italy and its faltering human relations. Il Ladro di Bambini (The Stolen Children) begins in Milan, where Sicilian siblings Rosetta (Valentina Scalici), 11, and Luciano (Giuseppe Ieracitano), nine, live with their destitute mother. The woman regularly prostitutes Rosetta and is arrested; her children are immediately made wards of the court. Carabiniere Antonio Criaco (Enrico Lo Verso) is assigned to escort them to a foster home in a mission that appears to be simple. Yet, years of abuse forbid the siblings to trust, obey, or even like Antonio. Rosetta is hostile and demanding; Luciano is sullen and remote. When the Catholic foster home will not accept the children on the grounds of Rosetta's past, Antonio independently decides to bring them south to a home in Sicily. The three begin on a road trip during which their relationship grows and Antonio -- the epitome of hope and grace -- attempts to give the children a normal, loving experience by temporarily stealing them from their uncertain future. ~ Aubry Anne D'Arminio, All Movie Guide
Review
Gianni Amelio's Il Ladro di Bambini is a moving and beautiful film with an extraordinary power in its simplicity. Its story is small, its pace slow and deliberate, and its actors quietly and naturally reveal themselves through gestures and reactions; there is no sensationalism, and for a tale in which a preteen is made into a prostitute, fornication is decidedly absent. There is no preaching; its calm dialogue has no trace of moral righteousness or liberal propaganda. Pathos and indignation spontaneously arise from the simple candid image of two children who are unable to trust an honest adult. Very few modern filmmakers possess the intelligence or confidence to trust the emotional capacity of the unadorned cinematic image. Amelio is part of this minority. Il Ladro di Bambini, the Grand Jury Prize winner at the 1992 Cannes Film Festival, is a pure triumph of his rare, uncomplicated directorial style. ~ Aubry Anne D'Arminio, All Movie Guide
The Stolen Children (Italian: Il ladro di bambini) is a 1992Italian film directed by Gianni Amelio. It tells the story of a policeman who bonds with two children as he escorts them to an orphanage.
6 David di Donatello - Best Film, Best Director, Best Producer, Best Editing, Best Music, Special David for their child acting (Giuseppe Ieracitano & Valentina Scalici )
