Shoeshine (1946)

In the shadowy aftermath of World War II, the cobblestone alleys of Rome serve as the playground for two young shoeshine boys, Pasquale and Giuseppe. Living amidst the ruins of their city, their dreams stretch beyond the war-torn landscape, united by a shared ambition to own a horse. Pasquale, a 15-year-old orphan, finds solace in his friendship with Giuseppe, a refugee living in a cramped apartment teeming with families. Their lives take a dark turn when they unwittingly become entwined with Giuseppe's criminally inclined older brother, Attilio, and his sinister associates. Coerced into a scheme to sell stolen American blankets to a fortune-teller, the boys find themselves in the middle of a deceitful plot. As the gang, disguised as police officers, rob the fortune-teller under the guise of a black-market investigation, Pasquale and Giuseppe are silenced with a hefty sum of hush money. With the spoils of their unfortunate adventure, they fulfill their dream of buying a horse, stabling it across the river in Trastevere. However, their joy is short-lived as the fortune-teller recognizes them, leading to their arrest and confinement in a bleak, overcrowded juvenile prison. Separated and manipulated, their friendship crumbles under the weight of betrayal, as Pasquale is tricked into revealing Attilio's involvement in the crime. The once inseparable friends are driven apart, spiraling into a vortex of bitterness and resentment. As they navigate the harsh realities of their incarceration, their dreams of freedom and brotherhood fade into the grim recesses of their past. The destructive path they are forced down, once lit by the innocence of their youth, culminates in a tragic finale, forever staining the cobblestones of Rome with the lost dreams of its shoeshine boys.

Shoeshine is a drama movie featuring Franco Interlenghi and directed by Vittorio De Sica.

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It is also possible to buy Shoeshine on Amazon Video and Vudu.