By Tammy Midwood
A seemingly insignificant, but foreshadowing scene in Bicycle Thieves (De Sica) is one of the first scenes in the movie. The main character, Antonio, is getting ready for his much anticipated first day of work with his son, Bruno. Bruno performs a cleaning and inspection on the bicycle that his father bought back from the local pawn shop. Bruno clearly takes great pride in his work and wants his father to have nothing but the best. This is evidenced when he tells his father about a new dent in the bike. Antonio tries to ease Bruno’s worries by wondering aloud if it was already there, to which Bruno replies, “No, they did it. Who knows how they store them. I would have said something!” This scene sets the tone of the movie. It is Bruno and his father against the world. Both Bruno’s innocence and perseverance in even the poorest of conditions shows through. His family may not have much but, to him, it is important that they care for the things that they have, and that others respect their belongings too. Bruno and his father are a team as workers and caretakers for the home. It is Bruno and Antonio fighting against the odds, for the good of their family. Unfortunately, Bruno’s innocence leaves him naive to the harsh realities of the world. Harsh realities that become abundantly clear later in the movie.
Bicycle Thieves is directed by Vittorio De Sica. The main characters are Antonio Ricci, played by Lamberto Maggiorani; Bruno Ricci, played by Enzo Staiola; and Maria Ricci, played by Lianella Carrell. The movie is set in post-World War II Italy and focuses on the plight of a man’s inability to provide basic necessities for their families, and the impact it has on those closest to him. This movie takes a realistic and relatable approach to showing the viewer the impact of living in poverty. No matter the era in which poverty is experienced, the consequences are the same: children forced to grow up, family relationships strained, and the moral conundrum of deciding whether to do the right thing or do what it takes to meet basic needs. Although it can be uncomfortable to watch for those who desire humor and satire to take the edge of sadness off the overall theme, the movie’s message is too important to miss. This movie should be seen by both those who have lived a privileged life, blissfully unaware of the daily struggle for thousands of families across the globe. It will provide perspective and, perhaps, urge those more privileged to take action in their own communities.
The main character, Antonio, is offered a well-paying position, but requires a bike immediately upon hire. This is a seemingly insignificant detail but proves to be the only detail that matters. The bicycle inspection scene takes place the morning Antonio is to begin his new job. Antonio and his son, Bruno, are cheerful and hopeful for a successful day providing for their family. Hopeful, until Antonio’s bike is stolen from under his nose. The rest of the movie, Antonio and Bruno are consumed with finding this stolen bicycle, as it is the only link they have to money for food and a home for their family. The search, which entails many scenes in which Bruno’s safety is forgone, comes full circle when Antonio gives up hope and attempts to do the same thing to someone else. In his desperation, he unsuccessfully attempts to steal a bicycle, and is left with only shame and the disappointment from his son who once thought the world of him.
Bicycle Thieves falls into the cinematic category of “Italian Neo-realism” which, according to Britannica, means that “the film’s style [is] more documentary like” and made a “radical departure from the escapist idealization of traditional moviemaking.” (Britannica) Viewers must be prepared for a realistic depiction of impoverished living in post-war Italy. Britannica goes on to explain that the actors in this film genre are not always famous actors. Instead, the actors are sometimes average people, which lends to an even more realistic depiction of events. Bicycle Thieves meets and exceeds these expectations. It is a movie that transcends time and speaks to the plight of both parents and children grappling with moral and practical predicaments that come with living in poverty. As Peter Bradshaw states, “This is a story that magnificently withholds the comic or dramatic palliatives another sort of film might have introduced.” (Bradshaw) There is no fluff or humor found in this movie, which would downplay the visceral despair and desperation seen in the characters as they navigate survival in Italy after World War II.
The straightforward nature of this film allows the audience to feel as though they too are invested in finding Antonio’s stolen bicycle. The desperation in Antonio seeps through the screen as he searches for the only link to providing for his family. It is on full display as he tears through an active mass in church in an attempt to interrogate an elderly man and, later, when he admits defeat over finding his bicycle and attempts to steal another. Likewise, the audience bears witness to Bruno’s shock and disappointment in his father. An innocent young boy, who sees himself as his father’s helper, grows up too soon when his father explains to him the current and future implications of the stolen bike, and abandons Bruno’s safety to try and get it back. Unfortunately, the film’s end is open-ended, leaving the audience to wonder what would come of Antonio and Bruno. The audience can gather that the bicycle is gone for good. However, if the director’s desire was to grip the audience fiercely enough to try and affect change, the ending should have depicted the repercussions of the stolen bicycle. Allowing the movie to come full circle would allow the audience to further sympathize with the characters’ plight.
A similarly heart wrenching and realistic film, set in a more modern time, is The Florida Project. Despite the decades difference between Bicycle Thieves and The Florida Project, the theme remains the same. Poverty and system failure leads to the dysfunction of the family unit, and a disregard of the most innocent family members’ safety to just get by. Both movies depict the life of parents and their young children struggling to put food on the table or to find safety and security in their surroundings.
Although the main theme of the two movies was similar, The Florida Project has a more complete ending. Unlike Bicycle Thieves, The Florida Project ends with the entry of DCF into the main characters’ lives, and the attempted escape of the main character’s daughter, Moonee, once she finds out DCF intends to place her in foster care. According to Vulture’s review, “It’s manic and beautiful, and a perfect, if impossible resolution to Moonee’s impossible situation.” (Cannes Review) The ending to The Florida Project highlights both the culmination of Moonee’s neglectful situation, and the innocence that remained despite the odds. Despite the different theatrical styles at the conclusion of each movie, the theme remained the same. Further in his review, Bradshaw states, “…Bruno’s simple physical survival is the movie’s secret miracle, and he is finally to be his father’s savior, but in such a way as to render Antonio’s humiliation complete.” (Bradshaw) In both films, the children’s lack of security may be what brings their parents to reality, but not before it strips them of their innocence.
Despite an ending that leave some to be desired, Bicycle Thieves is a movie well worth the watch. Viewers who desire a film that captivates and provides an alternative perspective will be on the edge of their seats, invested in the search for one bicycle in all of Rome. Additionally, viewers will come out on the other side of the film with a better understanding of what life is like for those who have no choice but to steal to provide for their families. Hopefully a lesson will be learned: to make sure that your kids’ physical and mental wellbeing is the top priority, no matter how hard things get. To be blinded by immediate needs is to neglect the ones with the most at stake.
Works Cited
Bicycle Thieves. Directed by Vittorio De Sica, Produzioni De Sica, 1948. YouTube, uploaded by Legendary Cinema, 29 Aug. 2021, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQkDYXzsHJE. Accessed 22 Dec. 2022.
Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. “Neorealism”. Encyclopedia Britannica, 23 Mar. 2016, https://www.britannica.com/art/Neorealism-Italian-art. Accessed 27 December 2022.
“Film & Music: Film: reviews: Bicycle Thieves: 5 stars: Director: Vittorio de Sica With: Lamberto Maggiorani, Enzo Staiola, Lianella Carelli 93 mins, cert U.” Guardian [London, England], 19 Dec. 2008, p. 9. Gale In Context: Opposing Viewpoints, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A190853299/OVIC?u=22506&sid=bookmark-OVIC&xid=9588250d. Accessed 23 Dec. 2022.
The Florida Project. Directed by Sean Baker, A24, Kanopy, 2017, https://www.kanopy.com/en/capitalcc/video/5324502. Accessed 22 Dec. 2022.
“Cannes Review: The Florida Project Is a Near-Perfect Follow-up From the Director of Tangerine.” Vulture, 23 May 2017. Gale OneFile: Pop Culture Studies, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A492503433/PPOP?u=22506&sid=bookmark-PPOP&xid=a7d320a3. Accessed 28 Dec. 2022.
Course: ENG 101
Assignment: Evaluation
Instructor: Daniela Ragusa
Photo credit: “Skeleton” by ep_jhu (Creative Commons)
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