Bicycle Thieves - Movie Review Example

? Bicycle Thieves (1948) of the Bicycle Thieves “Bicycle Thieves” is an extraordinary movie about the lives of the ordinary people andtheir trials and tribulations. The movie is not only worth seeing but experiencing. Rate 8.4 out of 10. Cert (UK): U Date of review: Name of the reviewer: City in which review is written: Introduction “Bicycle Thieves” is eulogized as one of the greatest movies ever made, directed by Vittorio De Sica, who has sterling achievements to his credit in the world of cinema. In the impoverished post-war Rome, a man looks forward to his first day of employment, which he believes is going to herald better days for his family in dire straits. The mode of conveyance that he is going to use to reach the site of work, his bicycle, is stolen. Accompanied by his young son in tow, he is on a mission to track down the thief. The construction of the plot is simple but overpoweringly rich in human insight and the movie personifies the supreme strengths of the Italian neo-realist movement like emotional transparency, social uprightness and ruthless honesty. The movie is based on the novel by Luigi Bartolini and there are a number writers to whom the writing credits for the script of the movie goes. They are Cesare Zavattini, Suso Cecchi D'Amico, Vittorio De Sica, Oreste Biancoli, Adolfo Franci and Gerardo Guerrieri. The movie is produced by Giuseppe Amato. The credits for original music and cinematography go to Alessandro Cicognini and Carlo Montuori respectively. The genre of this movie is crime/drama and the duration is 93 minutes. The movie is released in USA in December 13 1949. It is produced in Italy in the year 1948. Storyline/Plot/Location The director of the movie Vittorio De Sica and Cesare Zavattini visit a brothel to do research on the film. The post-war Italy is immersed in poverty and the common people are directionless and destination-less. How poverty makes poor people lose their essential dignity is depicted in the movie poignantly. Ricci and his son Bruno (Enzo Staiola) begin to search for the bicycle but Rome is such a big city and police are not of much help. The father and son reach a restaurant, take refreshments and a little wine. The boy gets an opportunity to view the lifestyles of the rich as he sees a family eating plates of pasta and his father tells him "To eat like that, you need a million lira a month at least". After sometime, to his great amazement, Ricci happens to see the bicycle thief and pursues him to reach a brothel. An ugly mob gathers, a cop arrives, but he is unable to take any legal action in the absence of witness, as the complainant Ricci is the only witness. He is frustrated. In the closing sequence of the movie, Ricci is tempted to steal a bicycle himself, and the cycle of theft and poverty continues. Actor’s Roles/Performances Prominent among the Cast are: Enzo Stailoa, Enzo Staiola, Lamberto Maggiorani and Lianella Carell. The experiment of introducing non-professional actors and shooting in natural locations is a new experiment and it brings about revised procedures in articulating truth and the ideas that influence the people. It is the demand of the time as well; the film makers face the budgetary constraints in the desperate post-war situation. The studios are devastated; unemployment not only makes the life of the people miserable but impossible to carry on, resulting in suffocating poverty. The experimentation of neo-realist philosophy through this movie has been highly successful. Other Cinematic Characteristics There is a famous scene on and around a bridge over the Tiber. The father, played by Lamberto Maggiorani, who has earlier stuck his son, turns back from his search in fear because he thinks the boy is drowning in the river. So also shooting of the most of the scenes in the movie are filmed in real locations, without creating artificial and make-believe sets. The director is able to provide the sensitive touch and dealing with the untrained cast has specific advantages. They are ideal raw material for being trained in the art of acting as they can be molded as per the choice of the director, with some efforts. It is far easy to teach to a raw hand than the established actor, who generally has ego problems. Since the director of this movie is a good actor as well, the new actors find it worthwhile to copy the tricks of the trade. Pros versus Cons The movie created history, bags the Oscar, besides many other international level prizes. The grievances of the common man are aired through the movie and it has benefits in societal terms and brings the common men on the screen as actors. It thus, establishes rapport with the masses. Other (Compare to other films and movies) Vittorio De Sica (1902-1974) has been hailed as an attractive personality, and he has been in great demand as an actor, whose first films as a director are light comedies like the ones he often works in. Perhaps the harsh reality of World War II impacts his optimism needed for such stories, and in 1942 he makes "The Children are Watching", a film which is hailed as a first of the neo-realist films, that is based on the life of ordinary people. “The Bicycle Thief”, more or less, follows the same tradition. Conclusion The movie elucidates how poverty drives an individual to the path of criminality, unwillingly though! The class structure and the acute problems of the working class are highlighted. How difficult the issues are for a man wanting to earn bread for his family and how society makes it difficult for poor people to make both ends meet! Filmmakers of the neo-realist ideology are the political think-tanks of the era, and they highlight the societal conditions to awaken the people to fight against the injustice suffered by them. Reference List Sica, Vittorio D. (Director) (1948).BibMe: Bicycle Thieves (Movie).Italy Read More