Bicycle Thieves

Comparisons: Neorealism and Japanese Post-war Cinema

Important Themes

Antonio's Role as

Poverty and Crime

the Patriarch

Stray Dog (Akira Kurosawa, 1949)

Bicycle Thieves (Vittorio De Sica, 1948)

• The means of transportation reveal social class.
• Class divisions are highlighted in the trattoria scene.
• Alfredo, the thief, is of the same social class as Antonio. Antonio is forced to steal as well due to his conditions.

• Bruno has been the family's sole breadwinner while Antonio has been unemployed.
• Antonio briefly loses sight of his family as he searches for the bike.
• The bike represents Antonio's role as a provider for the family.

Societal Alienation

Social

Cinematograpy

Wide, Distant Establishment Shots

- Convey sense of isolation for Protagonists in their search.

- Makes characters a part of landscape and more difficult to identify.

• People presented as a microcosm of society at large.
• Interactions between characters and environment reflect socio-political and economic factors at the time.
• The "city search" as a question of masculinity.

The "follow shot":

- This technique devised by De Sica utilizes the characters' following of the camera rather than the camera following them.

Distinction of Social Class:

- The film intermittently establishes distinct dividing lines between the poor, the working class, and middle-upper class, that supplement this particular theme.

-The Trattoria scene, where Bruno broods at the snobby rich boy

- When Antonio and Bruno seek refuge from the rain, and the suited men complain about rain on their day off, and not wanting to dampen their white ties and coat tails.

Lighting:

- To perpetuate this film's Neorealistic qualities, De Sica utilized only natural lighting outside, as well as inside.

ie.)- Scene that introduces Bruno as he inspects the bicycle, and states that there "isn't enough light" to properly evaluate its condition. He then opens a window, making the room much more distinct.

Neorealismo

• Amateur actors used instead of big names
• On set for 6 months for the purpose of getting the scenes perfect.
• Documentary style filming.
• Plot is of a realistic problem with redefined proportions in relation to the context of the character's life.
• Focus on working class.
• Realistic lighting.
• Real weather.

Bicycle Thieves, directed by Vittorio de Sica, is summarized by Millicent Marcus as "Man's bike stolen on first day back to work after two years' unemployment. Bike prerequisite to job."

Fine

Time Period

Other Films by de Sica

Another film by Vittorio de Sica is Miracle in Milan (1951), which starts off with the same general theme as Bicycle Thieves, with an old woman discovering a child in a cabbage patch, who then grows up to become a homeless orphan in post-war Milan. However, he alongside his fellow squatters discover oil, and he later sees a vision of the woman who discovered him giving him a magical dove that will grant his every wish.

1948, in post-war Rome

Locations

Characters

Via Val Melaina

Via Francesco Crispi

Via Di Panico

Church of Saints Nereo e Achilleo

Rome, Italy

Piazza Vittorio

Porta Portese

Lamberto Maggiorani as Antonio Ricci

Enzo Staiola as Bruno Ricci

Stadio Nazionale

Lianella Carell as Maria Ricci

Vittorio Antonucci as the Thief