This 1948 Italian Neorealist film from Vittorio De Sica is one of the most loved, most admired Italian films in cinema history. Though the Italians floored the world in the 50s with their gritty edge, it’s “Bicycle Thieves” that features at the top of critics’ lists of great movies.
What’s to love about this film? As the review from No Rip Cord astutely points out, “Bicycle Thieves” may lack the wit of Woody Allen films, the depth of Bergman classics or the style and flourish of Stanley Kubrick, but it’s no less a monument to the triumph of cinema as an artform.
De Sica and the Neorealists shied away from epic stories with elaborate sets and big-name actors, preferring to depict life as it really occured, on the streets of Rome with the post-WWII crowd, struggling to get by. Instead of professional actors, he used untrained actors, with Lamberto Maggiorani, a local factory worker, as the lead and Enzo Staiola as his son, a boy forced to mature by the harsh conditions.
I’ll admit little knowledge of film theory, but for me, these plucky Italians set the stage for some of the greatest cinematic masterpieces to come out of our modern cinema. They influenced the French New Wave in the 60s and the Dogme directors out of Denmark, but, for me, the most influence they’ve had is in China, a country that’s struggling to rise out of its own ashes, coupling massive wealth with incredible poverty.
The Sixth Generation of Chinese filmmakers seemed to take Italian cinema to heart, with directors like Jia Zhangke and Lou Ye mesmerized by the idea of using non-professional actors and realistic locations; the films coming out of China at the moment are some of the most sincere and captivating that I’ve seen.
I’ve diverged from a review, but it seems important “Bicycle Thieves” is excellent, but there’s vast tomes of breathless praise for the film already. What can I add?
Only that the Neorealists understand something that resonates with me to the core realism is the depiction of real life, yes. That includes misery, suffering and the realization that there are not necessarily happy endings to every story. Coupled with this, though, is the understanding that, though life can be grim, there are small pleasures, and these small pleasures can reach such excruciating moments of joy that they eclipse our own comfortable lives take this scene from “Bicycle Thieves”, when the father and son enjoy a short meal:
Without these moments of joy, it would be nihilism, but De Sica and his contemporaries did not want to cast great fiery explosions over the world no, this is what they saw, and it’s glorious.
I say
Beautiful, compelling viewing… an absolute must-see for lovers of classic European cinema.
See it for
Apparently, Sergio Leone was the assistant director on this film also, the film floats through Italian culture and passes quick commentary on religion and bureaucracy with reflective ease.
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