The movie appears immediately old and unpolished. The 4:3 ratio with black horizontal bars make the scene so tiny and the audio is recorded in sync sound, which makes some dialogue incomprehensible, especially with children. However, this contributes to give the movie an ancient aura, and I could easily imagine my grand-grandparents sitting around that table.
Something I have really appreciated is that there are so many characters taking equal space in the movie, but despite that complication, thanks to just a few actions and remarks their personality is quickly framed. Of course there is not much room for introspection, but it is possible to grasp the atmosphere of Italy back in the 1930s. A chauvinist society, ruled by patriarchate and somewhat split between cities and countryside. Some things changed nowadays, but not quite completely.
Something I have really appreciated is that there are so many characters taking equal space in the movie, but despite that complication, thanks to just a few actions and remarks their personality is quickly framed. Of course there is not much room for introspection, but it is possible to grasp the atmosphere of Italy back in the 1930s. A chauvinist society, ruled by patriarchate and somewhat split between cities and countryside. Some things changed nowadays, but not quite completely.