What Bicycle Thieves Means to Us
Vittorio De Sica’s 1948 neorealist drama is a powerful and committed representation of the hardships embedded in poverty. It doesn’t merely showcase the abject conditions that its protagonist and his family must suffer through, but goes beyond that to demonstrate how a single setback creates a snowball effect that can ruin their lives, reputations and dignity. As Antonio tries in vain to get back his stolen bicycle, we can only watch on helplessly as his luck, hope and spirit all gradually erode. This series of misadventures culminates in a devastating final scene, where father and son — with phenomenal acting by Lamberto Maggiorani and Enzo Staiola — must reckon with the harshness of the world around them.
De Sica, even when making the social issues at the heart of this film abundantly obvious, doesn’t rob these characters of happy moments. By giving his characters a sense of dignity beyond the tragedy that eclipses their lives, this doesn’t just emphasise the hopelessness of Bicycle Thieves’ conclusion, but also showcases the casual cruelty of a busy, bustling world, where throngs of pedestrians walk or ride their bikes, unaware that they have just passed by a boy and a man who have had their resolve broken.
–Cian McGrath
A Slice of Life
The Canon is all about celebrating the most essential movies in film history. Films that any self-proclaimed “cinephile” or “film fan” need to see. Films that the story of cinema can’t be told without. This means recognizing, amongst other things, the definitive movies of particular genres or cinematic movements.
Which is where Bicycle Thieves comes into play. As the definitive example of post-war Italian neorealism, The Canon would be sorely incomplete without its inclusion.
As the world grappled with the fallout from the war that shook the globe to its core and reshaped humanity, folks took to film to process what they’d experienced. In Italy, their new film movement was defined by a focus on every day, real life people and their real-life struggles, often with bleak endings or outcomes.
Films like Bicycle Thieves highlighted the lives of ordinary people and their seemingly innocuous dramas. A film about a man trying to track down his stolen bicycle was revolutionary in 1948. Even today that might seem like a story unworthy of a feature length film, and definitely one that can captivate and stimulate an audience.
However, within the mundanity of the film’s story lies a rich text that highlighted and examines so much of the human experience. The cruelties of a coldly indifferent system, losses of faith, and familial relations are among the various themes explores.
Father/Son Relationships
Much of the central action in Bicycle Thieves follows our protagonist, Antonio Ricci (Lamberto Maggiorani) and his son, Bruno (Enzo Staiola), scour Rome in search of his lost bike. The relationship between father and son grows more complex and tense as the film goes on.
Bruno, like many young boys, looks up to his father in unimaginable ways. Antonio, more than anything, wants to provide for his family. Without his bike, he’s unable to work. Being unable to work or provide for his family is the most heartbreaking thing that can happen to him and the impact on young Bruno is brutal to watch.
As far as child performances go, Enzo Staiola’s is right up there with the best of them. He’s able to express Bruno’s begrudging disappointment with his father and the predicament he’s gotten the family into with just his eyes or facial expression. It’s a remarkably magnificent performance deserving of all the praise it can get.
On the flip side, Maggiorani’s performance is filled with the uncertainty and despair necessary for his character’s journey. Antonio is a man who is lost in a cruel world. He can’t seem to catch a break, no matter how hard he tries.
Watching father and son navigate their terrible situation is surprisingly quite moving despite how depressing it can be at times. Their love for each other and the rest of their family knows no bounds. They are clearly willing to go to hell and back for each other.
In a film that will otherwise leave you feeling absolutely gutted, you can at least walk away feeling some comfort in the beauty of the bond between Antonio and Bruno.
The Bicycle – MacGuffin or More?
The actual bicycle in question in Bicycle Thieves remains one of the great movie plot devices of all time. In the most simplistic reading, it can be seen as a MacGuffin that propels the story forward. The object that everyone is trying to chase.
However, in reality, it’s so much more than that. So much of the film’s symbolism and metaphorical intention lies within the bike. Something that could feel so inconsequential to modern audiences, can mean the difference between life and death to someone like Antonio.
As the story progresses, it becomes clear that the bike is not only of the utmost importance to Antonio, but it can also mean a whole lot to his fellow man. The stolen bike also represents opportunity for whoever the thief may be.
The bike, like the various inhabitants of post-war Rome appears to be interchangeable. Although we realize along the way that those appearances can be deceiving. The bikes and citizens all carry with them their own individualized significance. All of their stories worthy of telling – just like Antonio’s.
Ultimately, it becomes apparent that despite their individuality, they all remain trapped in a callous society where success always feels just outside of arm’s reach. The story of Bicycles Thieves is not a tragedy of Antonio’s life, but of the world that his life exists in.
Legacy
It’s corny and cliched to say, but older cinema is worth our time. It helps us understand the contemporary films we love and feel close to. And additionally, it can often times be really flipping good.
Take the time to seek out some of these older films like Bicycle Thieves that defined the cinema of yesteryear. And yes, that means other foreign films as well.
A film like Bicycle Thieves can enrich the soul. It can give us give us a glimpse into the lives of others. Or it can serve as a great example of cinematic mastery. Director Vittorio De Sica and his team of filmmakers handle this story with such compassion and care that burst through the screen in every frame.
It’s truly a marvel to behold and simply one of the greatest movies ever put to screen.
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