Bicycle Thieves

Bicycle Thieves

Ladri di biciclette also known as Bicycle Thieves was an Italian film produced in 1948 which was directed by Vittorio De Sica. Starring Lamberto Maggiorani as Antonio Ricci; and Enzo Staiola as Bruno Ricci whom both of them are social actors. Bicycle Thieves used Italian Neorealism as a style to present the film which first introduced in the 1944 and also known as the Golden Age of Italian Cinema.  

Cesare Zavattini was the theoretical founder of neo-realism in 1942, suggested that new form of Italian Cinema that abolishes contrived and planned plots, use real people and locations so that direct contact is established with the social reality. Zavattini looked at plots as a fake structure of “everyday life” and professional actors are less likely been hire as it complimented the falsehood. Contemporary Social Realism, unconditional emphasis on the ordinariness of Today, Today, Today. There are several characteristics in Italian Neorealism films. Neorealism was known as a cinema of poverty and pessimism. Its decline began in the 50’s when the times were changing for the better because of society prefer watch happy films than sad films. It is revolutionary and happened during a time of non-revolutionary transition towards prosperity and affluence. Which was not economically profitable. Unpopular in Italy, dependent of foreign appreciation. The Italian government does not favor neorealism, bringing about imports of American films. The film is mostly sad, emotional, and involves crimes due to the poverty, injustice and desperation during that period. In fact, Italian Neorealism shot on-location in order to present the realistic of the environment during the post-war era.

The film focus on a man call Ricci, who is an unemployed man in the depressed post-WWII economy of Italy, he found a good job but require him to own a bicycle for hanging up posters. But soon his bicycle is stolen. He and his son walk the streets of Rome, looking for the bicycle. Ricci finally manages to locate the thief but with no proof, he has to abandon his cause. But he and his son know perfectly well that without a bike, Ricci won't be able to keep his job.

                                                                                                                                                        

Italian Neorealism was known as a film of poverty and pessimism we can easily found the element in the starting of the film with a group of unemployed men gathered around, trying to look for jobs from a job distributor. The job distributor stated that all of them are bricklayers and do not worth to take the job. Because of post war, old building and new building are been show in the film. New building shows that the building reconstruction after war and old building shows that the things that left over or being destroyed after war. Besides these, the scene when Antonio help his wife carry the bucket of water to their apartment. The road that they walk to their apartment is unpaved, which also shows that the construction of rebuilding the city. This has showed that the fact that poverty is really happening at that period of time and people who are working as bricklayers are helpless and starving as they couldn’t get a job to survive.

In conclusion, it shows the real human nature even though it’s not real, showing how people’s moral can be twisted when they are over desperate and despair. To be honest, I will not watch this style of film because I wouldn’t enjoy watching that will make me sad.