Bicycle Thieves

Bicycle Thieves_360P

🎬 Bicycle Thieves (1948) Watch movie: Regarded as a masterpiece of Italian neorealism, Bicycle Thieves (originally Ladri di biciclette) follows Antonio Ricci (played by Lamberto Maggiorani), a desperate father in post-World War II Rome, who struggles to find work to support his family. When his bicycle, essential for his job, is stolen, Antonio and his young son Bruno embark on a poignant quest through the city to recover it. The film poignantly explores themes of poverty, family, and the human spirit's resilience in the face of adversity. With its documentary-style cinematography and emotionally charged performances, Bicycle Thieves remains a powerful reflection on society and personal loss. #BicycleThieves #ItalianNeorealism #LadriDiBiciclette #ClassicCinema #EmotionalJourney #PostWarItaly #FatherSonBond #Masterpiece

source: Bicycle Thieves

In the post-war Rome, after more than two-year unemployment, the family man Antonio Ricci (Lamberto Maggiorani) finally finds a disputed job position putting up posters that requires having a bicycle. However, he needs to retrieve his bicycle in the pawn shop but he does not have money. His wife Maria (Lianella Carell) pawns their bed sheets and uses the money to recover the precious bicycle. Antonio envisions a better life for his family with his salary, overtime and benefits. Unfortunately, his bicycle is stolen on the first working day. Antonio and his son Bruno (Enzo Staiola) spend the Sunday chasing the bicycle and the thief on the streets of Rome. "Ladri di Biciclette" is a heartbreaking masterpiece of the Italian Neo- Realism and one of the best movies of cinema history ever. This is the third time that I watch this unforgettable film that makes me sad with the desperation of Antonio and his lack of perspective in the end. There are memorable touching scenes, like Bruno eating pizza in the restaurant wearing a torn coat and contrasting with the wealthy family; or the happiness of the clumsy Antonio putting up the poster of Rita Hayworth in "Gilda"; or the indecision of Bruno between a dish of soup in the church or chasing the old man with his father; or the shame of Antonio in the end. The DVD released in Brazil by Spectra Nova has good quality of image, subtitles in yellow but no Extras. The DVD released by Versátil uses the same matrix of Spectra Nova but with subtitles in white, and it is difficult the reading by the viewer. However, there are many Extras. My vote is ten. Title (Brazil): "Ladrões de Bicicleta" ("Thieves of Bicycle")

Even if you are merely a moderate fan of cinema you will have at least heard of this film. It has been hailed as a masterpiece for just short of sixty years and has been routinely studied in film classes everywhere. In a sense, it is one of the recognized masterpieces of cinema. And yet, this is not a film in which to pick up obviously great shots like the 360 degree shot in the hotel room in "Vertigo" or cuts as good as the jump cut in "2001: A Space Odyssey" with which Kubrick transports you from prehistoric ages to an age in which space travel is common in barely a second. This is a subtle, realistic film, and though it looks terrific, it is not flashy. It exists not to excel technically or tell the story of humanity, but simply to tell a story. A simple story which may say more about human nature than any other film in existence. "Bicycle Thieves" is about a man in economically depressed post-World War II Italy who is lucky enough to find a job which requires him to use a bicycle as transportation while putting up posters around the city. It's relatively well-paying and almost too good to believe for his family. While on the job his bicycle is stolen, and the rest of the movie tells the story of him and his son attempting to recover the bicycle. In the magnificent final scene Antonio Ricci (the lead character) finds himself tempted to steal a bicycle in order to be able to perform his job. Here we have our 'hero' thinking about doing to someone else what was done to him. There is no black and white in the world, no good and evil. This film does a great job of stating that fact without moralizing and preaching like so many modern films do. This film does not insult your intelligence and I pity those who wanted a third act, or those who wanted more explanation. This film is beautiful and brilliant because it is completely understated. It's realistic. We feel Ricci's desperation and are transported into 1940's Rome as he makes his way through the city's crowded streets, alleyways, churches and brothels. I have no idea how much this film cost to make, but I would be surprised if it was made on a low budget. The location shooting throughout the city is impressive, as is the (again) understated cinematography. De Sica cast non-actors in the lead roles, and I find their performances to be among the most realistic and effective I've ever seen. Alessandro Cigognini's score is a highlight of the film, and I consider the melancholy main theme one of the greatest musical cues I've heard in any film. I enjoy theatricality as much as anyone and I certainly don't dislike Hollywood gloss, but "Bicycle Thieves" serves as a jarring reminder of how great a medium film can be. The jarring effect the film had on audiences upon its release (in particular American audiences) is easy to understand viewing the film in 2007 and it escapes my comprehension how anyone can't be completely captivated and enthralled by this masterwork. ****/4

For years, I was the stereotypical "ugly American" who was too bored by foreign films to give them a fair chance. But that's changed lately. These days, I like nothing better than popping a Bergman or Kurosawa or Ozu movie into my DVD player, and I'm becoming more and more intolerant of crass Hollywood fare. Bear with me, because my tedious introductory comments are leading up to a point. And that point is - "Bicycle Thieves" is perhaps THE essential movie that turned me off foreign films for so many years. "Bicycle Thieves" is, in sad fact, the movie that chased me away from subtitles, away from the arty-farty world of elite cinema. It took a long time for me to work up the courage to watch another foreign film after I saw this little gem, I can tell you. But why, you might reasonably ask, did "Bicycle Thieves" have such a profoundly negative effect on me? Because I found it simply too depressing for words. Depressing...to an almost absurd degree. The movie, I'm sure you know, is about a dude who needs a bicycle to get a decent job and support his family. He pawns some of his last worldly possessions in order to obtain said bicycle. And the bicycle is *immediately* stolen. Our protagonist spends the whole movie trying to get the bicycle back, and even succeeds in tracking down the thief, but he is obstructed at every turn by jerks and ultimately frustrated in his quest. So, in the end, our hero tries to steal a bicycle himself during a moment of despair. Unfortunately for him, about 10,000 people witness the attempted theft and perform a group tackle on him to stop it. He is publicly shamed in front of his son, and then slinks away. End of depressing movie. What exactly is the message here? Society sucks? Poverty is inescapable? Don't respond to stealing with more stealing? Or, at least, never try to lift someone else's bike when 10,000 people are ready to spring upon you from every doorway and stop you? The truth is, I can't figure out the movie's message. Nor can I relate much to the depths of poverty shown here - can the guy really not afford to buy another bicycle, or borrow one, or *something*? Or must his whole life be an endless tale of frustration and woe? Call me superficial...call me bourgeois...call me uninformed...but I think this movie is just a drag, a slog, a pain in my posterior. It's the kind of foreign movie that turns Americans off better foreign movies, and that's a shame. I wish I could see something sophisticated about it, but I don't - what's so sophisticated about being relentlessly dark, to the point of stretching credibility? In short, I'll gladly take the bitter-sweetness of a foreign art film like "Tokyo Story" over the bitter-bitterness of this one. Real life is usually better than what you see in this movie, folks. And when life does get this bad...I'm not sure I wanna look at it.

It's interesting to see the street scenes, the apartments, the roadways and the buses in postwar Rome. Those scenes alone make the movie worth watching. But that's about it. The plot is minimalistic, the acting is passable, the pace is very slow, and the soundtrack is poor. There is some suspense initially in the movie, but when you realize that nothing really happens, the suspense rapidly falls away, while the drudgery continues. I have certainly seen worse movies than this over the years- it's not bad, just boring, very slow moving and somewhat pointless- but seeing reviewers claim it's one of the best of all time is beyond bizarre. I'm beginning to conclude that if a movie is dark, depressing, and soulless, it will resonate well with the so called "learned reviewers". Personally, I'd prefer some content.

A film of real life, real emotions, real people. Bicycle Thieves was a film like no other because it was made like no other. With non actors, natural light, filmed on locations, the film captured the truth of Neorealism. The film is made up of a series of "small moments." The fact is, the entire movie is made up of pureness. It tackles issues of class, politics, and post war activities. Overall, the film is about life and hope. The unhappy ending only makes the film more real. If you are a son who loved his father and understood who he was and why he was the way he was........watch this movie.

Some films try to explain multiple aspects of a story or a character by showing several episodes from the character's life. Vittorio De Sica's masterful The Bicycle Thief relies on the power of simplicity to drive home its point. It is a very simple film, relying on film making at its basics. There are no professional actors for us to identify with, but there are plot lines, emotions, and thoughts that no one can help but relate to. Antonio Ricci (Lamberto Maggiorani) has been waiting for a job, but when one finally arrives, he must obtain a bicycle in order to be able to accept the position. His loving and caring wife, Maria (Lianella Carell), hocks the bed sheets in order to be able to afford a bicycle for Antonio. He reports to work as a poster hanger, but while on the job for only a short time, the bike is stolen by a young thief (Vittorio Antonucci). Desperate to get the vehicle back, Antonio seeks the aid of his friend, Baiocco (Gino Saltamerenda), and also receives the help of his devoted son, Bruno (Enzo Staiola). Bruno stays by Antonio's side, no matter what, determined to help his father get back the stolen property. It is a frustrating journey for the father and son, as they receive no help, except that of Baiocco. It seems that no matter what they do, Antonio is left with a fateful decision (shown in one of the most brutally honest scenes in any movie I've ever seen). He must ask himself just how far would he go to put food on the table for his family that he loves so much? There has been controversy over the ending of the film, which I am not going to go into, because it would be cheating you out of a brilliant ending to an extraordinary picture. However, I will say this much - When viewing The Bicycle Thief, ask yourself what you would do in Antonio's situation. What choices would you make? Some of the questions that rise from this film are some of the questions that help us to define ourselves as people, and the fact that this film provides such a clear and honest representation of so many facts of life is what makes it an undeniable masterpiece! This is a film to be cherished!

Italian Neorealism has always been one of my favorite film movements, and The Bicycle Thief appears to be one the finest examples of this medium. While people today might not understand the power in the story, one has to understand the nature state of Italy after World War II. The country was in ruins, and finding a good job was difficult. Desperation took over more often than reason, and this leads to the eventual climax of self pity and remorse. Quite a powerful film, for it is the only foreign film I have on my personal Top 25 list.