Film Analysis: The Bicycle Th
Just after the end of World War I "the problem of finance ... encouraged filmmakers to create a kind of movie that would no longer be dependent on fiction and on invented themes ... but would draw on the reality of everyday life" (Beaver 256). This statement by director/actor Victorio De Sica exemplifies typical Italian neorealist mentality. In 1948 De Sica collaborates with screenwriter and theoretical founder of neorealism, Cesare Zavattini to create Ladri di Biciclette (The Bicycle Thief). The film is set just after World War I. After being out of work for two years Antonio Ricci is offered a job hanging movie posters, provided he has a bicycle to use as transportation. He and his wife, Maria, pawn the linen sheets to pay for the bicycle that is eventually stolen on his first day at work, Friday. With his son Bruno by his side, Antonio must find the bicycle before Monday or he'll lose his job. Along with its universal themes, this film is one of the premier films of the Italian Neorealist movement of the late 1940s. While the cinematic effects and storytelling of The Bicycle Thief support the themes and style of the film, they also reveal the influence of
The last few shots are of Antonio and Bruno walking away from the men. Since the characters in De Sica'a film are played by nonactors it can be assumed that their onscreen portrayals were directed as such. This theme also encompasses the issue of a developing cynical view of the human condition. "Unemployment in postwar Italy had reached 22 percent by 1948" (Cook 430). Antonio realizes that truth and honesty won't necessarily lead to justice. An evident theme of the film that relates more directly to Italy is the breakdown of human values while struggling through hard times. Finally the theme is portrayed through cinematic effects and storytelling preferences of the director, Victorio De Sica. The most universal theme of the film is the importance of family relationships during hardship and misfortune. Film historian David Cook believes "the 'realism' they [Italian neorealist directors] wished to renew was quite specifically the Soviet expressive realism" (Cook 425). The Bicycle Thief demonstrates a trend that exists amongst many films. In the version of the film with English subtitles there were no words for about 2 minutes except for the visibly evident chattering spoken in Italian that wasn't in the subtitles. While not all neorealist films are influenced by technical aspects of Soviet expressive realist film, The Bicycle Thief does exhibit many similar cinematic techniques. The men in suits, who stand right behind Alfredo, appear to be mafia-like characters although no specific indication is given; the crowd that has gathered, who stand behind the men in suits surrounding Antonio and the camera, are angry with Antonio's accusation and become increasingly rowdy; the police officer, who moments earlier mentions that while Alfredo may have stolen the bicycle "all these people will side with him" and legal action is essentially futile. The cinematography and storytelling of this film demonstrate the neorealist style.
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