Postwar Italy, Neorealism, and The Bicycle Thieves - Essay Example

Submitted Postwar Italy, Neorealism, and The Bicycle Thieves This paper aims to show a period in Italian history through the film “The Bicycle Thieves.” A film directed by Vittorio de Sica, “The Bicycle Thieves” reflected the themes of Italian neorealist movement. After the Second World War, Italy faced difficult economic times that led the country and its people into poverty. This paper starts with a short biography of Vittorio de Sica and his influences followed by a discussion of neorealism and its manifestation in Italian cinema. De Sica’s perspective of Italy and the neorealist elements of the film are explored at the last section of this paper. 1. Vittorio de Sica’s Life Vittorio de Sica, born on July 7, 1902 and died on November 13, 1974, was a director, actor, and a leading figure of the Italian Neorealist movement (Britannica Online). He used to be a theater actor who loved performing light comedies before establishing his company, and eventually becoming a director (see fig. 1). De Sica acted in about 150 films and directed 35 films of which the most critically acclaimed was “The Bicycle Thieves”. As handsome as he was, he played leading man roles in films like “What Rascals Men Are!” One of his films, “Umberto D.”, didn’t do well in the box-office although it was one of his finest works. Jason Ankeny stated that “De Sica's career as a filmmaker was critically damaged” (New York Times Online). He went on to act in different films which include “A Farewell to Arms”, “It Happened in Rome”, and “Indiscretion of an American Wife”. He returned to directing in the 1960’s and created the films “La Ciociara”, “Ierri, Oggi, Domani”, and “Caccia alla Volpe” which were critically acclaimed and award-winning. Fig. 1. Vittorio de Sica; Holocaust; Dan.Romascanu.net, n.d.; Web; 7 March 2011. 2. Vittorio de Sica and the Neorealist Movement “The roots of Neorealism—an emphasis upon simple, honest story lines, a documentary style, the frequent use of children as protagonists, on-location shooting, social themes, and faith in the brotherhood of man” are displayed in De Sica’s films (Britannica Online). As one of the founders of the neorealist movement, De Sica stayed true to the ideals of neorealism which was reflected in a lot of his films. Budget constraints led him to shoot on location, employ untrained actors, and appropriate simple camera work. “The Bicycle Thieves” was a simple story that resonated the themes of poverty, economic standing, and class differences. “Though critical favourites, the films of the Italian Neorealist movement never attained popular acceptance” (Britannica Online). I think the reason behind this was that people were not brave enough to face the realities of life that De Sica showed in his films. He was showing poverty, helpless men, suffering women, etc. which were all hard to bear seeing on screen. His films, I think, also somehow criticized Italian society. He displayed the weaknesses and vulnerabilities of Italian people on screen. “The Bicycle Thieves” in one scene at the restaurant showed how rich people indulge in drinking and eating while a lot of their countrymen are suffering in poverty. The film also showed the lack of police power as represented when Antonio reported the missing bicycle. But the greatest critique of the movie, I think, is the representation of a man who is slowly losing his dignity because of poverty. The young man who stole the bicycle was the most obvious representation of that. In the last scene of the movie, however, we see Antonio steal a bicycle himself and eventually lose all that he had – dignity and honor. And the cycle of poverty continues. The Italian society must play its part, then, in order to rise above the difficulties of poverty. 3. Postwar Italy Diana Pinto stated that “Italy in the postwar period has experienced a tormented social and political development spanning the entire gamut of western hopes and disillusions vis-a-vis economic growth, social harmony, and political representations” (671). After the Second World War, Italy was left with difficult economic and political times. There were short periods of economic growth, but these little developments did not change the entire landscape of Italian economy for the better (see fig. 2). The country, at the same time, was undergoing a lot of political transformations. “The Bicycle Thieves” somehow mirrors the harsh economic and political times of this period. Men were jobless and women were suffering in their homes. There was shortage of job to the point that some Italian people resorted to stealing bicycles. Fig. 2. Partisans in Milan after liberation in 1945; Wikipedia.org, n.d.; Web; 7 March 2011. “Dominated by historicism and idealism, Italian culture had always had a highly ambivalent attitude toward the social sciences, both on the Left and on the Right” (Pinto 673). This reflects the political views of Italy after the war. Italy’s literature, architecture, and philosophy once again dominated during the postwar period. The idealism and historicism was felt in the film as well. Bruno, the son of Antonio, somehow represents the idealism in Italy. He was very supportive of his father and never left him until the end. Antonio also had his own ideals. He wanted a comfortable life for his family that’s why he never stopped looking for the stolen bicycle. Paolo Scrivano stated that “During the postwar reconstruction, the country entered a new stage of development that launched an unprecedented process of modernization and prepared the way for what in the 1960s came to be called the economic boom” (317). Italy was slowly reconstructing its fractured economic and political landscape after the war. Italy was slowly abandoning its traditional views in exchange of more advanced and liberal perspectives. This period in Italy’s history was somehow captured in the film when Antonio and his son went to a restaurant. The scene where they enjoyed expensive food and drinks somehow liberalizes them from the clutches of poverty. It wasn’t always desperate; there were also periods of economic freedom. In the film, we know how difficult life is for the main characters. There were also some scenes, however, that appeared funny especially the scenes involving the father and the son. “In an age in which much of the postwar cultural conflict centered on the place and meaning of Italian culture (to say nothing of the Italian past itself) in a rapidly changing postwar world, the domestic sphere emerged as one of the principal battlegrounds” (Scrivano 340). One of the better consequences of the war, for me, was the creation of the neorealist movement. Italy may have suffered after the war but the cultural sphere was very much alive. This period saw the beginning of what was to become one of Italy’s greatest contributions to the world – neorealism. This cultural movement was reflected in works of literature, painting, and film. If not for the war, Italian artists could not have experienced all the difficulties which eventually led them to neorealism. 4. Vittorio de Sica’s view of Italy through the film Vittorio de Sica displayed his view of Italy through his neorealist film “The Bicycle Thieves” (see fig. 3). First, de Sica portrayed a picture of Italy that was stricken with poverty. This was a type of poverty that seemed to cut across all economic classes. The laborers were having a hard time finding a job because there were simply no job opportunities for them. Even the professionals clad in expensive suits, in one scene in the movie, were lined up and waited patiently for the bus. Poverty seemed to be a problem, not just of the poor, but the entire Italian society. If the rich will continue to be indifferent about the difficulties of the poor, the cycle of poverty will just continue, as was portrayed in the film when Antonio stole a bicycle but was caught. Fig. 3. The Bicycle Thieves; lauraview.blogspot.com, n.d.; Web; 7 March 2011. Despite the hard economic times portrayed in the film, de Sica also showed that there was still hope. Bruno, the son of the main character Antonio, for me represented the hope of Italy that de Sica wanted to portray in the film. The son was a symbol of hard work, honesty, and integrity. He was cleaning the bicycle for his father, helped in finding the missing clamp and bell of the bicycle, and showed unselfish love for his father who, at the last scene of the movie, stole a bicycle himself. Bruno makes us believe that through honesty and faith, poverty can be conquered (see fig. 4). Fig. 4. Enzo Staiola as Bruno; USAToday.com, n.d.; Web; 7 March 2011. Having come from a war, Italy was also depicted as a country in transformation. The war has left the country and its people in difficult times, but the film nevertheless showed the changing attitudes of people. A father like Antonio was willing to do everything for his family to the point that he was attempting to steal a bicycle. The fortune-teller in the film also represents the great future that awaits Italy. There is hope at the end of every difficult trial. 5. Italian film Neorealism Sergio Pacifici defined neorealism as “a representation of reality by certain and almost traditional methods like filming on location, faithful reproduction of customs and traditions, and historical accuracy” (44). From the word “real” itself, the neorealist movement attempted to capture the essence of Italian life as they unfold in everyday situations. There was no need for fancy studio settings or for luxurious costumes and props, for instance, in shooting a film. What matters more is how the little realities of life translate into great works of art such as in literature and cinema. Pacifici explained the focus of neorealism on “some real Italians with their aspirations and hopes and anguish moving against a truly Italian background” (45). Neorealist movement attempted to be as faithful as possible to the realities of Italian life and its people. This movement encourages Italian people to be true to themselves, true to what and how they feel, and use these emotions to create works of art. There is value in the honesty of every Italian that allows us to see their hopes, dreams, and aspirations. Cesare Zavattini stated that “The cinema must state a reality as if it were a story: there must be no gap between life and what is on screen” (qtd. in Pacifici 51). This quote somehow summarizes what the neorealist movement wants to achieve, which is the authenticity and honesty of human life in every work of art especially in cinema. Whereas film directors create fictions using the realities of life, neorealism displays the realities of life as it is. There is no need for elaborate script, professional actors, and beautiful settings. Every frame and scene of neorealist films contains a grain of truth that transcends the boundaries of the movie screen. Other directors of this period include Rossellini, De Santis, and Visconti whose “major works of art captured the spirit of postwar Italian culture and remain original contributions to film language” (Postwar Neorealism: A Brief Decade). 6. Neorealism in The Bicycle Thieves “The Bicycle Thieves” reflects a number of themes that characterize the neorealist movement in Italy. First, actual locations were used instead of studio settings. In Hollywood, the use of meticulously designed settings with elaborate props was the standard. Using this standard entails a lot of money. Since neorealism was trying to portray reality, the films in this period used actual location to shoot the scenes. In “Bicycle Thieves”, most of the scenes were shot in actual locations. The first scene shows the workers who were waiting to get called for jobs, women were seen carrying buckets of water to their dilapidated houses, and the entire search for the lost bicycle was done in the streets. There were also scenes that were shot inside small buildings, a restaurant, and a church. Untrained actors and ordinary people were used to portray the different characters in the film. The main character played by Lamberto Maggiorani was said to be factory worker. Since neorealism was about real people, there was no better person to portray the character of Antonio than a factory worker who possesses the feelings and emotions of a working-class Italian (see fig. 5). There was no need for make-up, expensive costumes, and contrived acting. The actors were pretty much portraying themselves. The facial expressions and emotions that they showed somehow reflected what they were really feeling inside. That’s how truthful and honest the film appeared. The supporting actors which include the son, the wife, and friend were also said to be ordinary people. Fig. 5. Lamberto Maggiorani as Antonio; DVDBeaver.com, n.d.; Web; 7 March 2011. The film also showed the postwar situation of Italy during that period. There was shortage of jobs and a lot of people were stricken with poverty. The poverty was so bad that some resorted to stealing bicycles. People were dressed in inexpensive clothes and some of them looked like they haven’t taken a bath in days. Buildings looked old and dilapidated. The film displayed the historical situation of Italy with so much accuracy. 7. Conclusion The paper discussed how postwar Italy was captured on film by Vittorio de Sica through The Bicyle Thieves. I think the film accurately depicted the difficult economic and political times of that period. It created a picture of Italy that was stricken with poverty. In the midst of that poverty, however, there was hope. Italy slowly reconstructed its economic and political landscape to become one of Europe’s most economically stable countries after the war. A lasting contribution of Italy to the world was the neorealist movement. Pioneered by Italy’s greatest artists, this movement influenced the country’s culture, arts, and most especially, cinema. Works Cited Ankeny, Jason. “Vittorio De Sica.” New York Times. Web. 7 March 2011. De Sica, Vittorio, dir. The Bicycle Thieves. Perf. Lamberto Maggiorani, Enzo Staiola. Produzioni De Sica, 1948. Film. Pacifici, Sergio. “Notes Toward a Definition of Realism.” Yale French Studies (1956): 44-53. Web. 7 Mar. 2011. Pinto, Diana. “Sociology, Politics, and Society in Postwar Italy 1950-1980.” Theory and Society 10.5 (1981): 671-705. Web. 7 March 2011. “Postwar Neorealism: A Brief Decade.” FilmReference.com. FilmReference, n.d. Web. 7 March 2011. Scrivano, Paolo. “Signs of Americanization in Italian Domestic Life: Italy’s Postwar Conversion to Consumerism.” Journal of Contemporary History 40.2 (2005): 317-340. Web. 7 March 2011. “Vittorio de Sica”. Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica. Web. 7 Mar. 2011. Read More