Bicycle Thieves (1948)

Director Vittorio Due Sica is an influential figure of Italian neorealism, going so far as to use everyday people as actors in this masterpiece of his. Not that you'd notice. The actors in this film are all remarkable, especially the two playing the leads. Lamberto Maggiorani as Antonio Ricci and Enzo Staiola as his son are both haunting in their roles, conveying in their roles far more emotion than many A-list Hollywood stars.The story goes that Antonio is a family man living in post-war Rome. Work is hard to get so you can guess his excitement when he lands a job as a poster of advertisements. Unluckily for him the job absolutely requires a bicycle and his gets stolen on his first day. Thus begins a frantic search throughout the streets and markets of Rome, helped by friends and his son.And as much as I have to praise the acting and emotion in this film, I do have to admit that the majority of the film is rather boring. The initial setup is interesting enough, but the search itself goes on way too long and consists mainly of the father and son aimlessly wandering around, searching for clues.So why is this such a classic? I mean, I guess it's an interesting look into post-war Italy, but there are many a film about that precise subject. And it is a tedious experience to sit through. But all that wandering, all that prolonged misery is necessary because of one thing. The ending. This film has one of the most poignant, most powerful endings I've ever seen. In it culminate the themes and hardships of the film in a way that's rarely seen.This is a hard film to recommend. It has power and depth, but it's also told in a way that's hard to sit through. Nevertheless, I do ask you to give it a chance.

This is not a film you think too much about, it's a film that makes you feel. Though, a few things can be said about how it makes you feel. The story is very simple; a man living in poverty during post-war Italy gets a job hanging up posters. For this he needs a bicycle, something that in itself is a big investment for his family due to their economic situation. Unfortunately his bike is stolen on his first day. This leads to several smaller incidents where the man in his son walks around in the city to search for the bike and the thief who stole it. What makes this film is its simplicity. It's concentrated depiction of a hopeless situation. This is one of those films that will really make you feel the desperation of our protagonists. It's empathetic and gives a certain insight of humans situated in a desperate setting.

4,75 / 5 - This is cinema. Bicycle Thief is probably the best report on the hardship and despair that Europeans, in this case Italians, went through after all death and destruction caused by the WWII. The grainy black and white photography is heartbreaking and the many amateur actors just adds to the truthiness. It was a big surprise to know that the main part is played by an amateur actor, maybe that is why the film hits its mark so well and comes across so realistically. The big question raised on the film is how far misery, hunger, poverty and inequality will push you apart from honor and dignity. Will the father be able to maintain his honor and role as a inspirational role for his son on such an extreme situation?The film is intense from start to end and it will keep you on edge of your seat through the more intense moments. This is a huge counterpoint to what Hollywood was producing at the same period of time. It is an honest portrait of the struggle for life and self-respect.

'Bicycle Thieves' is a sometimes poignant film about the plight of the 'little man' who has no contacts, no influence, no money, no nothing'.I must admit that the extremely high esteem in which it is held leaves me slightly at a loss. Its themes of wealth and class are clear but they rarely evoked much emotion within me for Antonio - our protagonist and victim of the titular bicycle thieves - is rather dull. The one and only exception to this is when he gleefully indulges at a local restaurant with his son Bruno. Alas, the pleasure it brings them is fleeting.I felt a modicum of indignation here and a degree of pathos there, but ultimately, 'Bicycle Thieves' did not compel me. Certainly not compared to the gritty kitchen sink fare of the British New Wave some years later. Rather, I appreciated it as a cinematic artefact; an educational experience rather than an entertaining one.