Bicycle Thieves (1948)

Dir. by Vittorio De Sica

Cast: Lamberto Maggiorani, Enzo Staiola, Lianella Carell, Gino Saltamerend, Giulio Chiari

This is, understandably, a classic that will live on forever. It is bleak, heartbreaking, and tiresome. Maggiorani gives a performance that makes you feel like he would do anything for his family. He has a relentless drive to make things right, going by the book and doing the right thing. Until he has been worn down by society to the point where he has been lowered to the standards of the rest of the world. From the beginning, he encounters people that are willing to help him, people that are indifferent to his struggles, and people that actively oppose his search. What is constant is the living and breathing system that is this city in economic turmoil. It feels like Antonio is almost in a fantasy world where things happen to people that deserve them and karma will catch up with you. That is where Antonio believes himself to be. But in reality, it is the law of the jungle. I definitely went into this film with expectations that were way too high, given that I have heard this called a staple classic for as long as I can remember. So it is not surprising that this film did not do as much for me as I was hoping it would. The more I think about it, the more powerful it resonates though. I thought that the middle portion of the film kind of dragged on a little bit, given that the actual barebones storyline is pretty simplistic. But once it started to hit me with the grand themes, I really got sucked in for the humbling and beautiful ending. I feel like his son could have been better utilized as a character, and I wish there was more somber talks between father and son. Other than that, this is a wonderful film that doesn’t necessarily hit my personal feelings, but it makes me think about the meaning of righteousness and morality. Great stuff.

8/10