The Bicycle Thieves

Monday 7th September, start time 8:30   Reel Cinema, Andover 

Release: 1948 (Cert U)

Directors: Vittorio De Sica

Cast: Lamberto Maggiorani, Enzo Staiola

Review: Here 

Even if you are merely a moderate fan of cinema you will have at least heard of this film. It has been hailed as a masterpiece for just short of sixty years and has been routinely studied in film classes everywhere. In a sense, it is one of the recognized masterpieces of cinema. And yet, this is not a film in which to pick up obviously great shots like the 360 degree shot in the hotel room in "Vertigo" or cuts as good as the jump cut in "2001: A Space Odyssey" with which Kubrick transports you from prehistoric ages to an age in which space travel is common in barely a second. This is a subtle, realistic film, and though it looks terrific, it is not flashy. It exists not to excel technically or tell the story of humanity, but simply to tell a story. A simple story which may say more about human nature than any other film in existence.

"Bicycle Thieves" is about a man in economically depressed post-World War II Italy who is lucky enough to find a job which requires him to use a bicycle as transportation while putting up posters around the city. It's relatively well-paying and almost too good to believe for his family. While on the job his bicycle is stolen, and the rest of the movie tells the story of him and his son attempting to recover the bicycle.

In the magnificent final scene Antonio Ricci (the lead character) finds himself tempted to steal a bicycle in order to be able to perform his job. Here we have our 'hero' thinking about doing to someone else what was done to him. There is no black and white in the world, no good and evil. This film does a great job of stating that fact without moralizing and preaching like so many modern films do. This film does not insult your intelligence and I pity those who wanted a third act, or those who wanted more explanation. This film is beautiful and brilliant because it is completely understated. It's realistic. We feel Ricci's desperation and are transported into 1940's Rome as he makes his way through the city's crowded streets, alleyways, churches and brothels.

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