Details
Movie Description
The recipient of international acclaim, Vittorio de Sica's Italian Neorealist masterwork, THE BICYCLE THIEF, is a treasure of world cinema. The simple, beautifully touching story concerns the attempts of Antonio (Lamberto Maggiorani)--a penniless bicycle messenger--to find his stolen bicycle, which was his only way of providing for his family. The resulting journey, taken with his son Bruno (Enzo Staiola), challenges, humbles, and tempts Antonio into stealing a bicycle himself. THE BICYCLE THIEF, simply put, is one of the most honest and touching portrayals of the common man ever put on film.
Synopsis
After nearly two years of unemployment, Antonio (Lamberto Maggiorani) finally finds work posting bills. But he needs a bicycle to do the job. Unfortunately, he was forced to pawn his own bicycle long ago. In a humbling, tragic scene, Antonio exchanges his family's linen for his bicycle. But when the bike is stolen on his first day of work, he must comb the streets of Rome in search of the bike: his family's only means to survival. After three days of hunting, Antonio and his son, Bruno (Enzo Staiola), find the thief (Vittorio Antonucci)--but without witnesses or evidence, the police are unwilling to help Antonio. Hopeless, Antonio and Bruno wander aimlessly through Rome, landing outside of a soccer stadium where hundreds of bicycles are parked. His will broken, Antonio attempts to steal a bike but is caught in the act.
Thematically, Vittoria de Sica's THE BICYCLE THIEF details an everyman story of loss of innocence in the face of a destitute society, while the film's poignant acting and directing creates an individual and heart-wrenching tale of one man's struggle to feed his family. The film is often considered one of the masterpieces of 20th century cinema.
Film Notes
Shot on location in Rome, De Sica purposefully avoided the city's most striking monuments in order to make the story more universal.
Unable to gain studio funding, De Sica produced the film himself, using the financial support of his friends for backing.
Most Neorealist films used non-actors as a means of heightening the reality of the film. Lamberto Maggiroani, the film's lead, was a 39 year old steelworker who lost his real job after the film finished production.
THE BICYCLE THIEF won awards from the British Film Academy and the New York Film Critics. It also received the grand prize at the Brussels Film Festival, and an Academy Award for Best Foreign Film.
|
)
All rights reserved.
