Bicycle Thieves

Liked this even better than Rome, Open City, despite a weak ending. The pathos here was enormous, using the naturalism of the performances to really amp up the tragedy of the otherwise mundane event. This is a simple story of a stolen bicycle, but the movie becomes something really universal. This is a picture about the downtrodden, about the unseen injustices that pervade the lives of the struggling. It was heartbreaking. It also features what I think might be my favorite performance by a child actor I’ve seen: Enzo Staiola.

The original title of the film is Ladri di biciclette.

A great father and son journey, Bruno is just the best. That mozzarella sandwich looked fantastic. The whole time while he was looking for the bike I was thinking just steal another one but when he actually did I was shocked. I didn't think it would go down like that and I'm still sad he didn't find his bike.

‘Bicycle Thieves’ is a classic-era Italian film set in post-WW2 Italy during massive inflation and a collapsed economy. It’s a story about desperation and a family’s dreams tittering on the edge of being shattered. The two main characters are a father and son, Antonio and Bruno, respectively. Antonio is a poor, unemployed workingman struggling to make ends meet for his wife and two children. From a lucky draw, his name comes up for a job to hang film advertisement posters around town. The only requisite is he must have a personal bicycle to travel. He had pawned off his bicycle previously, but his wife sells their bedsheets to buy it back. As the title says, the bicycle gets stolen on his first day on the job, so his son and he set off to find the thief through the streets of Rome. The ingenious story is simple but packed with tension, drama, emotions, and heartbreaking scenes during the brief journey. Throughout it, you get honesty. And most importantly, it’s relatable regardless of who you are or where you come from, which makes it timeless.

The film employs Italian neorealism, which clings close to attaining realism. The brilliant cinematography, directing, acting, music, and script all work together beautifully to create a realistic atmosphere. Acting, especially, is what sold the story to me. It’s amazing considering the actors didn’t have any acting experience or training because the director wanted it to feel real. Professional actors wouldn’t feel as real as someone new to it. You feel empathy for the two and their entire livelihood coming down to a bike they must get back. Little Bruno adds charm to complement his father’s disgust with the thief, as the two learn and grow from each other. The brilliant ending scene is what I will always remember about this film as their desperation comes together to a head. I can’t say anything about it without spoiling.

Would I recommend it? Yes, if you have no issues with subtitles. It’s a poignant and heartfelt film from start to finish. The film is also short and presented without fluff scenes.

A good story about a working class father. He tried his best and worst to get his bicycle back.

We can see the journey of a father and his son. searching the bike that was stolen. A movie that shows the italian society and lower class during the post-war. Don't expect a traditional story, this movie shows you the country in a very real way.

Hard-hitting, hard-hitting social drama.

A young family struggles to make ends meet in postwar Italy. The patriarch gets good news - an opportune job opening - but the position demands a bicycle. As theirs was pawned to afford this month’s food, the wife exchanges temporary comfort for the promise of a steady income and swaps it for her dowry bedsheets. On the father's very first day of work, disaster: a thief makes off with the prized bike. The next morning, accompanied by his son and a small group of compassionate neighbors, he sets out on a desperate search for the most essential tool of his new trade.

I went back and forth on this one. _Bicycle Thieves_ (or _The Bicycle Thief_, as it was originally translated) is widely regarded as a landmark film, one of the finest ever made, and was an oft-cited influence for Kurosawa, Scorsese and everyone in between. Far more knowledgeable cinephiles than I heap it with praise; a film student’s ideal. Yet, for much of its running time I was underwhelmed. Gradual and straightforward, the plot quickly settles into a comfortable routine: visit one thinly-veiled fencing operation, browse the wares, increase existential concern, shed a party member, then move on to the next. It wasn’t until the last stop that it hit me. As the father’s visual anxiety grew, so did mine. I’d nearly stopped breathing. The easy pace and slow progress had drawn me in, ripening me for a powerful, climactic turn in the film’s final moments. And, while subdued (why would I expect any less?), that hits hard. Really hard.

So, for me, the question is: are seventy minutes of creeping, spacious neorealism justified by such a weighty payoff? I remain uncertain. It’s a case of heavy emotion, resonant feeling and thick empathy, but the long, narrow road is an essential component to unlocking those riches. A potent display of the medium? Absolutely. The greatest film I’ve ever seen? Certainly not.

It gives an amazing view in post-war Italy, but it’s really hard to care about a movie about a stolen bike. I know that the stakes are higher than just that because of the job and all that stuff, but I couldn’t help myself. The ending was quite disappointing to be honest and seriously… How slow are you when you get caught by some guys on foot so easily? That’s just stupid.

A whole movie about someone whose bike was stolen 😂😂😂😂