Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		3.5
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.0

Misunderstood Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman April 23, 2024

The 1960s saw some truly amazing performances from child actors in films, and three of them actually ended up garnering Academy Award nominations. Two of this vaunted trifecta competed against each other in the ceremony honoring 1962 films, Mary Badham in To Kill a Mockingbird and ultimate winner Patty Duke in The Miracle Worker, while Jack Wild in Oliver! was the third child actor to receive an Oscar nomination during this particular decade. Kind of interestingly, despite at least some beautiful child performances in foreign films during that decade, other than the English Wild, no international young performers were feted with nominations, let alone wins, but for anyone wanting a primer on how to coax beautifully naturalistic acting from kids, one might need look no further than Italy's Luigi Comencini. Comencini's name may well be less than renowned on this side of the pond, but as some of the supplements on this disc get into, he had a rather pronounced knack for finding children who had no acting experience and then not just casting them in his films but getting some really remarkable performances from them as well. Quite interestingly as is also disclosed in some of the supplemental content on this disc, many of these child actors never appeared in another film.

Misunderstood has not one but two nicely modulated performances from youngsters, with Stefano Colagrande and Simone Giannozzi portraying brothers Andrew (Andrea on the subtitles) and Miles (Milo on the subtitles) Duncombe, whose father John (Anthony Quayle) is the UK Consul General in Florence. John, reeling from the sudden death of his wife, is suddenly confronted with the need for "single parenting", something he's probably spectacularly ill equipped to provide. He decides to tell the older Andrew about the death of Andrew's mother, but the truth about the situation is kept from the younger, often ill, Miles. That leads to a series of somewhat melodramatic but still emotionally resonant repercussions as Andrew, who already probably rightly feels his father favors the younger Miles, is forced into a quasi-adult role with his younger brother.

There's some interesting contextual information on the literary source for this film included in the supplemental content, and understanding some of the ins and outs of novelist Florence Montgomery's writing and approach may add to the already visceral emotional quality of the film. There is often a fractious relationship between fathers and sons, but Misunderstood, while potentially tugging at the heartstrings maybe a bit too overtly, still provides a beautifully articulated look at a distraught dynamic between a troubled father and his two offspring, each of whom have their own "issues" to deal with. As wonderful as the kids are, this is also a rather interesting use of Anthony Quayle, who is quite moving despite any hurdles thrown into the mix courtesy of dubbing. Quayle was one of the famous beneficiaries of the infamous champagne and filet mignon banquets held for Academy voters after screenings of Anne of the Thousand Days, resulting in that film's perhaps unexpected trove of nominations, but it's interesting to note that Quayle was perhaps cast much more to "type" in that historical epic than here, where he's once again a patrician, but this time with some definite vulnerabilities.

Misunderstood Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Misunderstood is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Radiance Films with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.85:1. Radiance's insert booklet contains the following information: blockquote> Misunderstood was scanned from the original camera negative in 2K at Studio Cine, Rome. The film was restored by Radiance Films at Filmfinity in 2024. Thousands of instances of dirt, dust, stains and tears were removed and dozens of shots stabilised to attentuate mechanical jitter. This is by and large a really lovely looking transfer that offers some nicely tight grain resolution supporting an organic appearance, as well as some very nice suffusion in the palette, which is especially noticeable in a lot of the outdoor material with John and the boys on the grounds of their massive estate. There can be a just slightly yellowish undertone at times which can give a somewhat jaundiced look to flesh tones, as well as making reds like the schoolboy jackets tilt a bit toward orange territory. Fine detail is commendable throughout in both interior and exterior scenes. There are a few passing moments of splotchiness (see screenshot 9), as well as some minor age related wear and tear that has made it through the restoration gauntlet.

Misunderstood Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Misunderstood features an LPCM 2.0 Mono track in the original Italian. The post looping can be more than obvious at times, and the entire track has a somewhat boxy sound, but all dialogue is rendered without any major problems. Some classical source cues are combined with Fiorenzo Carpi's original score, and there can be some very slight distortion in elements like harpsichords, as well as some of the louder moments with the kids. There is some pretty inartful music editing at various moments, for those who notice things like jumps in cues. Optional English subtitles are available.

Misunderstood Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Michel Ciment (HD; 23:41) is an archival interview with the critic, which covers the film and its director in general, but which kind of interestingly also gets into how French cineastes may have been instrumental in fostering this film's reputation. This comes with a spoiler warning about the tear jerking finale of the film. Subtitled in English.


• Piero de Bernardi and Cristina Comencini (HD; 35:10) is another archival piece, this time from 2008, featuring the director's daughter and the film's co-screenwriter discussing Misunderstood. Subtitled in English.


• A Child's Heart (HD; 24:51) is another interesting piece by David Cairns, addressing some of the history of the literary property and Comencini's facility with working with kids.


• Trailer (HD; 3:18)

Radiance provides a nicely appointed insert booklet with writing by Manuela Lazic and Dominque Rabourdin, along with cast and crew information and transfer notes. The keepcase sleeve is reversible, and packaging features Radiance's Obi strip.

Misunderstood Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Misunderstood is undeniably manipulative, but that doesn't mean most who watch it will have a considerable lump in their throat by the story's conclusion. The intimate performances really elevate the material, and Radiance provides generally solid technical merits and some outstanding supplements. Recommended.