Film #6: Bicycle Thieves (1948)

Introduction

Bicycle Thieves (1948, Vittorio De Sica)

The purpose of this essay is to identify the traits of Italian Neorealism in the film, “Bicycle Thieves” by Vittorio De Sica.

Theory Discussion

According to Daniela (n.d.), Italian Neorealism is a style of film with the characteristics of stories set among the poor and working class, filmed on the spot of the location, and frequently using unprofessional actors. Italian neorealist films deal with the difficult economic and moral conditions of post-World War II in Italy. It also reflects the changes in the conditions of everyday life which are poverty, pessimism, and desperation. According to Bordwell and Thompson (2013), Italian Neorealism is one of the most influential movements in the film industry.

In 1922, Benito Mussolini seized power and Italian cinema was used as a form of a propaganda, educating Italians with documentaries and newsreels. The motion picture industry had created massive historical epics and sentimental upper-class melodramas which is nicknamed as ‘white telephone films’, and many felt these to be artificial and decadent (pg 483). He set up Cinecitta Studios in Rome and in 1937, he took charge of the place and doubled Italian production within a year.

Cesare Zavattini was the founder of neorealism in 1942. He suggested a new form of Italian cinema that abolished contrived and planned plots with using normal people and locations so that direct contact is established with contemporary social reality. Zavattini wanted to use plots that are more of an everyday life. Professional actors complimented falsehood. There are unconditional emphasis on the ordinaries of Today, Today, Today. Daniela (n.d.) stated that it is first applied by a critic named Antonio Pietrangeli to Luchino Visconti’s Ossessione (1943). Soon, the style became popular in the mid-to-late forties in films of Roberto Rossellini (Rome, Open City; 1945, Paisan; 1946), Luchino Visconti (The Earth Trembles; 1948), and Vittorio De Sica (Shoeshine; 1946, Bicycle Thieves; 1948).

Synopsis

Bicycle Thieves (1948) is an Italian film directed by Vittorio De Sica. It is a story about a poor father, Antonio Ricci (Lamberto Maggiorani) who is searching for his stolen bicycle during post-World War II Rome. Without his bicycle, he would lose his job. His job requires him to ride on a bicycle to hang up posters around Rome. He manages to find the thief but without any evidence of him stealing his bicycle, the case is dismissed. Later, Antonio saw an unattended bicycle outside a football stadium, gave his son, Bruno Ricci (Enzo Staiola) some money to take a streetcar home and approaches the bicycle and hops onto it. Bruno saw his father cycling off a group of men chasing him, but failed. Bruno runs into the crowd, crying, “Papa! Papa!” The owner decided not to press charges on Antonio, Bruno and his father walked away from the crowd, continued walking home.

Film Analysis

Bicycle Thieves is an example of Italian Neorealist film. It has the characteristics of neorealism.

One of the characteristics is the location. It is filmed in a poor neighborhood in a real time location. Shooting on location provides a sense of realism. It is shown at the beginning of the film where there are buildings of apartments post-World War II. It shows the disaster brought in by the war. People are shown carrying buckets of water from the well to their own apartment because there is no water supply in the building. When Antonio Ricci was offered a job and he was not sure whether to go for it or not because he need to have his own transportation at work, he consulted his wife. His wife, Maria Ricci took the bed sheets in their apartment to the pawn shop and get money in return to buy a bicycle for his husband. In post-World War II, people trade in their items for money because it is hard to get a job at that time.

Lighting is one of the characteristics of an Italian neorealist film. Natural lighting is used during film, for example, the Sun. It is to show the present reality of the situation or film. Although the film is in black and white, contrast can be seen in the film that shows daylight and night.

The actors in the film are not professional. De Sica casted unknown and unprofessional actors. The main actor was found working in a factory, the child was wandering around the streets and the wife was a writer. This creates a realistic feel of the daily life of the normal people. Antonio is characterized as emotional, useless and does not care much of his wife and son, while the wife is seen as powerful and quick witted.

This film uses diegetic sound. For example, to compliment the locations and identified as authentic physical spaces, performers in the music hall or the chattering of the merchants in the market is used. At the climax of the film, De Sica used a non-diegetic sound which is using a tone that heightens the scenes. The music became melodramatic when Antonio was arrested for stealing a bicycle and being ashamed publicly in front of his son.

Bicycle Thieves does not have a happy ending like what Hollywood films does. Since this movement is the opposition to Hollywood films, directors make sure not to make films with happy ending. This film ends with Antonio walking his son, low headed, with his son grasping onto his hand, crying.

Conclusion

This film is rated five stars in Rotten Tomatoes by movie critics. One of the critics named Don Druker, quoted that “this 1948 film by De Sica is undeniably the most important neorealist film after Rossellini’s Open City.” According to Criterion, Bicycle Thieves is “Hailed around the world as one of the greatest movies ever made.”

References

1)     DivaDaniela. (n.d.). Italian Neorealism. Retrieved from http://cinecollage.net/neorealism.html

2)     Bordwell, D & Thompson, K. (2013). Film Art, An Introduction. Tenth ed, pp. 483-484.

3)     (2014, June 7). Italian Neo-Realism. Retrieved from http://filmtheory.org/italian-neo-realism/

4)     Bicycle Thieves. Retrieved from https://www.criterion.com/films/210-bicycle-thieves

5)     Bicycle Thieves (Ladri DIi Biciclette)(1949). Retrieved from https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/bicycle_thieves/ 

6)     Druker, D. (n.d.). Bicycle Thieves. Retrieved from https://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/the-bicycle-thief/Film?oid=1150728