Bicycle Thieves

Bicycle Thieves (Ladri Di Bicilette) (1948)

Runtime: 89 minutes

Directed by: Vittorio De Sica

Starring: Lamberto Maggiorani, Enzo Staiola, Lianella Carell, Elena Altieri, Gino Saltameranda

From: Director De Seca in essence made it himself

As 2021 winds down and I won't be around as much the latter half of the month, this may be the last “prestigious” film from the past that I get to see until '22. Among other things, a few holiday-appropriate pictures will be watched. They likely will be more cheerful than Bicycle Thieves, a downer of a motion picture which is still great and a prime example of the “Italian neorealism movement”, which is stripped-down pictures that has a cast of non-actors. Yet, don't think of it as Dogme 95 or even Mumblecore. Besides director Vittorio De Seca shooting it with a professional flair, the movie has a lush musical score. It's just that from what I understand, Italian movies before WWII were lavish productions like you saw in the Hollywood of old.

It is a deceptively simple story where the patriarch of a small poor family (Antonio) has to scrape together enough dough to purchase a bicycle that is needed for a new job-hanging posters. Not only is there political commentary, the struggles of trying to rebuild the country after the events of World War II is a key plot point, whether said or unsaid. It is not long before the bike is stolen—both Antonio and his young son Bruno look around the city. It is not the happiest movie for the holiday season, that's for damn sure.

Yet for the lack of help they receive from anyone in authority due to the chaos of Italy still suffering from the effects of the war (their poor status does not help either) it is still a movie worth seeing. After all, it is a moving tale where it is impossible not to root for such a empathetic family. The performances of Lamberto Maggiorani & Enzo Staiola as Antonio and Bruno respectively are outstanding & feel so real. It is one of the best child performances I've seen; those are so easy to go so wrong yet the kid himself and the director created something memorable. For all the strife and heartache, this is still filled to the brim w/ humanity & there's so much magic I'd rather not spoil for those that were like me before last night and hadn't experienced this before.