The Bicycle Theif
"The Bicycle Thief" is a deeply moving neo-realist study of post-War Italy which depicts one man's loss of faith and his struggle to maintain personal dignity in poverty and bureaucratic indifference. Antonio Ricci is a bill-poster whose bicycle, essential for his job, is stolen by a thief. Joined by his son Bruno, Antonio vainly searches for his bike, eventually resorting to the humiliation of theft himself. Throughout this paper, I will attempt to trace the character through "The Bicycle Thief." The film opens with a montage of early morning urban activities ending on a crowd of unemployed laborers clamoring for work. Sitting to the side is Antonio Ricci. Beaten down by despair, he has lost the energy to fight. His spirits are lifted, however, when his name is called out for a job. Invigorated, he damns poverty. His joy however, is fleeting, employment depends on one condition -- that he owns a bicycle. To provide for his family, Antonio long ago pawned his bicycle and now, in one day, he raise the price of the pawn ticket. Not knowing where he will get the money, he turns to his wife Maria. In their stark home,
His warmth belies the stereotypically "macho" Latin male. awn is a remnant of her dowry and the family's last vestige of comfort -- the bed sheets. " While waiting for a rain storm to clear Antonio spots the thief talking with an old man. Hundreds of bicycles are parked outside. He helps his wife carry heavy buckets of water and engages his young son Bruno as a reliable helper, and trusted him with the preparation of the cherished bicycle for the first day's work. , politics and social decay which appear in this movie, but are not necessarily the immediate intent of this film. The comments made about society as well as politics are inescapable, but are not overt. While the bourgeoisie must seduce the power to Mass, Roman women line up to spend their last lira on a clairvoyant. the simple story of a stolen bicycle. When Antonio losses hope -- admitting that even the saints cannot help him -- he too turns to Signora Santona. Hired as a billposter, Antonio was required to affix looming images of Rita Hayworth to the gray and ancient walls of Rome; ironically, he juxtaposes Hollywood's glamorous world vision to the stark realties of post-War Europe. At the pawn shop, it becomes evident that the Ricci's misery is not unique. In the next major move of the film, he is quick to attempt to steal someone else's bicycle. He is immediately caught, threatened by his captors and humiliated in front of Bruno, compassionately, the owner allows Antonio to go without pressing charges.
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