Vittorio De Sica’s Bicycle Thieves is among a handful of films we’re screening this term that belongs in the canon, which is to say: it’s lauded, still taught in most universities, appears on every list of the greatest films ever made, is considered timeless, and has been enormously influential. On that last point, it singlehandedly inspired a number of people to become filmmakers, the great Bengali director Satyajit Ray included. This film, more than any other, showed people that good, compelling, dramatic movies could be made outside studio and star systems. Though it did not usher in Italian neorealism (Rome, Open City [1945] is credited with that), for many it embodies the values and ideals of neorealism.
Unlike with most post-war Italian neorealism films, this one had a decent budget. De Sica was even courted by a Hollywood producer, which he turned down, of course. (Legend has it the producer wanted Cary Grant in the role of Antonio Ricci!) We may note a studio-quality in the film’s editing and score, in particular, but De Sica made a number of choices that indicate a preference for realism and lower-budget filmmaking. For instance, most of the film was shot on location (the streets of Rome) with available light (making the compositions grittier and shadowier). None of the actors were stars, then or after the film’s release; indeed, most of the principals, including the lead and his son, were non-professionals. Trained actors can play all sorts of roles, of course, and do so convincingly, but the neorealists wanted audiences to see people they didn’t recognize and therefore to see themselves up there on the big screen. These decisions echo my lecture notes, which remind us that these films reflect a postwar consciousness. At a time when many (and even most) Italians/Europeans were struggling to get by, this was not the moment to be showy and glam.
When the film was released it stunned audiences. This isn’t how movies were supposed to end. He didn’t get the bike back? After all that? Maybe it still does stun us? It reminds us of what I call “movie logic” and how this movie disrupts that logic and our expectations as viewers. In the course of a two-hour narrative, we expect the drama to be condensed and characters to evolve somehow so that they are able to overcome certain obstacles in their path. This isn’t how all movies play out, of course, but we’re certainly accustomed to this trajectory, no? But I’ll ask you the same question I posed in my Zoom recording: those of you who’ve had your bike(s) stolen, did you ever get them back?
As I promised in my Zoom recording, I want this first discussion to orbit around Cesare Zavattini’s (pronounced Chay-a-ray Zah-Vah-tee-nee in Italian) neorealist manifesto, “Some Ideas on the Cinema” (1953). (You can find this essay on Pod #1 module (on the home page) dated July 6-10.) First, find a passage (at least a sentence in length) that you feel sheds light on and/or contextualizes Bicycle Thieves, its meaning(s), and/or message(s). Second, quote that passage in the body of your discussion post. Third, and last, explain to us why you chose the passage and how you feel it illuminates and connects to the film. How does it help you think about this movie and its realism? Before making your own post, be sure to read through all posts made by other students, so that you don’t repeat the same passage or response.
The above Zavattini bit is required for this discussion, but feel free, in additional posts, to respond to other student’s posts and/or to comment on the film as you see fit. What do you make of this ending, for instance? Is it all gloom and doom, or is there any hope to salvage? What is important or useful, do you think, in making art and entertainment that attempt to hold up a mirror to its viewers and society?
the film can watch free on youtube
