Bicycle Thieves (Criterion Collection)

Antonio Ricci needs a bicycle for a job and his wife Maria had to hawk their bed linen to come up with the money to get the bicycle. Four years after WWII, the Italian people are struggling to get back on their feet. The country is in ruins from bombs and loss of lives on and off the battlefield.

Antonio and Bruno both ride their bicycles to work. Unfortunately children Bruno's age had to scrape money so families like his can put food in their mouths and clothes on their back. While Antonio is plastering posters on the concrete walls, an unsuspecting passserby steals his bike. Antonio and his son are on a quest to look for the bicyle that he needs to work. Without his bicyle, he can't work, and without work, he isn't able to provide for his family.

The Bicycle Thief is a sad story because people are struggling to survive the aftermath of WWII. The bike that was stolen could have been sold for parts or needed for transportation and work. The search for Antonio's bike is futile and hopeless. No one seems to know where his bicycle has gone to. As father and son search for the bike they see the faces of despair and misery at the mission church and enjoy a nice dinner they can't afford.

Sixty years after the movie came out, The Bicycle Thief is a reminder of what is currently happening in our own backyard. Even with the advancement of technology, we can still fall victim to unemployment, homelessness, and economic instability. But this movie does offer a glimmer of hope.

The Bicycle Thief is one of my favorite favorites of classic old movies. It's easy to call other people negative when you have tens of thousands in the bank. But most people if not everyone, when pressed to a desperate point, will do a desperate act. Those who think that they wont are oftentimes the next to learn that they will. I don't mean that a person will sacrifice all of their morals just because their stomach is empty, that isn't adapting and overcoming at all, but they will certainly temporarily lapse on some values just to afford dealing with their situation. To me that's a deep truth that Ive found to be true, and thankfully this movie also helps to reveal it as such.

There are very few films that leave me speechless upon their closing. `Ladri di Biciclette' is one of those films. The last few seconds left me utterly jaw dropped; so much so that I literally uttered the word "wow" and just sat there a few seconds before saying it again, this time louder.

"WOW"

Why, you may ask, does this film leave me with that feeling? The answer is simple; it has that raw emotional awareness that so many films lack these days. The story is simple yet so complex when you take into consideration the realty of the situation. This man, Antonio Ricci, is just trying to provide for his family. With jobs scarce he is relying on his bicycle (which he went through pains to get) in order to keep his job and put food on his family's table. When his bicycle is stolen he and his young son walk the streets of Rome in search of the thief. That is it, in a nutshell, but what a nutshell. The film takes this man's struggle and makes it a part of the viewer. We can feel the pain and turmoil that comes from acknowledging defeat. What is so poignant here though is the fact that film remains brutally honest, never once creating a faux sense of self-righteousness. Antonio is certainly a victim; but as the films finale proves, he is not a saint.

UGH.

Director Vittorio De Sica made a brave yet richly rewarding casting decision in his two leads. Both Lamberto Maggiorani (who looks an awful lot like Daniel Day-Lewis) and Enzo Staiola were not actors. The studio wanted Cary Grant for the lead, but De Sica decided to cast unprofessional's, which could have seemed like suicide, but in the end served as one of the films greatest selling points. Both Maggiorani and Staiola bring such realism to their performances, realism that could not come from trained acting. This is raw, deep, powerful and emotional connection to a situation, a situation that may have been very, very real to these two individuals. Maggiorani carries Antonio with such defeated realism, and young Staiola is such a wonderful breath of adolescent adoration. The way he follows his father around, consistently hopeful, is just marvelous; and his face as the final few moments are unveiled; I mean, just "WOW".

One thing I really liked about this film is the texture. By that I mean that the film has a very grainy, rough appeal to it. It actually looks to me like a silent film, complete with the cracks in the film and the frequent pops (that wonderful white noise reminiscent of your parent's record player). I love this feel because it adds realism to the film, taking you back to, not just an era in history but an era in cinema. In fact, this is one of those rare films that could double as a silent film, for words are secondary to the actual expressions portrayed on the faces of everyone involved.

Watch it with sound, but then watch it without and you'll see what I mean.

`Ladri di Biciclette' (`The Bicycle Thief' or, more appropriately `Bicycle Thieves') is a marvelous film, one that will stay with you for a long time. I am astounded by this masterpiece and highly, highly recommend it to any and everyone who is willing to watch it. You will not be disappointed. When that final blow comes across in the films final frames you will realize that in life happy endings are hard to come by.

This is a wonderful film about the realities of postwar Italy and the choices that may or may not truly exist for an ordinary, kind-hearted man in desperate need of a job to support his family. Saying any more is not possible.

It is imperative for all to see this classic Italian Neorealist masterpiece of Vittorio de Sica. The hard choices are those faced by all people, and De Sica asks viewers to consider what would be theirs in a similar situation. this is a breathtakingly beautiful film that involves thinking as well as feeling, and perhaps most of all, a challenge to perhaps think more about working toward a kind of world where survival is not an issue.

Story of an unemployed man and his son in war devastated Rome. The father finds a job pasting up posters, work requiring a bicycle to get around. The bicycle is stolen, and the man searches Rome to find it. Panic stricken at being unable to recover his bicycle and at the prospect of losing his job, the father is compelled to steal a bicycle, only to be caught and humiliated in front of his son.

CAC's Comments: This film will 100% immerse you in the Italian language and culture. It is a heartwarming film and will touch the soul. A dear favorite of CAC Saint Louis.