Bicycle Thieves 9.3
In an era of post war uncertainty and poverty, a family get a moment of hope, only for it to be stolen away. Antonio is, like so many others in Rome in 1948, out of work and desperate to provide for his wife and young son Bruno. He is offered a position putting up posters around the city, it is well paid and he is chosen for the virtue of bike ownership, however, he has previously pawned the bike to pay for food. Rather than turn down the lifeline, he pawns one of the few tradeable commodities that remains, their linen bedsheets, to get the bike back and set off to work. He and Bruno, about 8 yrs old, proudly clean and prepare the bike on the morning of, then, as he is up a ladder, the bike is cruelly nicked. They must track it down, in a city of thousands of bikes.
Through painting a convincing and compelling portrait of hardship, the film takes the time to establish the importance of the job and therefore the bike, (although it never wastes time showing us the bike in much detail, that may dehumanise the situation) partly down to the pride, happiness and relief the family feels, so that the theft hits hard. At the heart of the film is the father and son pairing. They are often shown side by side, Bruno looking up at his dad for guidance, like a loyal dog. In places bruno's actions have humour, although perhaps it wouldn't really be proper to call them funny. Almost everything Antonio does shows desperation, and importantly, he's never alone so Bruno sees his dad go through a wide rage of emotions. There is a scene in and outside a church which is a bit of a turning point.. Antonio gets physical with an old man and causes a bit of a scene in mass, something he wouldn't dream of doing usually. And after he and Bruno come out, Bruno makes a comment and gets a slap, it's a terrible moment for the two of them, but a great moment for the film. Later, after a street accusation between Antonio and who he suspects is the thief, Bruno momentarily let's him walk off instead of following closely, the first time theyre not within touching distance, this is acutely noticeable. He has seen a different side to his dad which makes him think twice, perhaps for the first time. In the next shot we see that he's lagged behind and nearly gets hit by a car, so quickly runs to catch up - a clever little script point to help him make his mind up.
It is almost unbelievable to realise that the film uses an almost entirely amateur cast, none of the main cast had acted in a film before, it sounds like a risky move but I think it perfectly suits the understated feel of the film. They are all brilliant and for me the young lad who plays Bruno smashes it the most. His reaction to the slap moment as he is shocked, then sulks, hands in pockets, is so true to life.. it was the image that was burnt into my memory most when I first saw this years ago.
The directing by Victoria De Sica itself is famously, utterly and simply authentic with no flashiness to be seen. They don't make them like this anymore.. it relies entirely on our ability as humans to relate to what another person is feeling. It simply shows us, and we have no choice but to sympathise and react. I wonder how much of this quality would be lost if it was remade today? Certain close up shots of their faces have always stuck with me, compounding the relatability of the performances. As the film goes on, light and dark become more noticeable in the shot composition, this somewhat mirrors the mental state of our main man.
Then there is the ending. It isn't easy to describe without giving much away.. it is both utterly heartbreaking and inevitable. It is a testament to the film making here (and indeed in general) that there is such an emotional investment come the final event (those familiar with the film know exactly to what I refer) The last shot shows the pair disappearing into a crowd of many people, perhaps symbolic of this kind of tale being only too common in this kind of setting and situation.
It is one of those films where almost every aspect is exquisite. It feels Italian through and through, in the same way Belleville Rendezvous feels French through and through. It is full of wonderful touches e.g. In the restaurant when Antonio takes pity on Bruno and takes him for food, for a few minutes they live like they aren't poor and it's one of the few moments they are both happy. Quite rightly, this is commonly featured on the 'Greatest films of all time' lists. It is such essential viewing, in no minor part down to the simplistic and hugely affective approach to the story (comparable to 12 Angry men in some ways) that it would certainly be high on my list of films everyone should see.
Note: On my DVD copy at least, the subtitles are sparse and only show what really matters, not every single word, but you don't lose anything because the actors are so expressive.
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