Wednesday, November 7, 2012
The Bicycle Thief
A gritty, sad portrayal of postwar Italy. I think the primary theme was that times were tough all over. We saw this with the poor old man going to church for soup, the enormity of the pawn shop where they sold their sheets, the poverty that the actual thief lived in. Ricci tried to be the man his family needed, but in the end, as he and his son melted into the crowd, it was shown that he was another of the faceless masses simply struggling to survive the devastation and humiliation after the end of World War II.. Anti German sentiment was shown not only by the hat worn by the original thief, but also subtly by the group of German speaking priests, which I suppose illustrated the isolation from suffering enjoyed by the Vatican during the post war era.
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The Bicycle Thief was a relatable film. A man was tasked with providing for his family in a time when jobs were scarce. Trajedy struck and forced Anthonio to consider acts he wouldn't have otherwise. During his search for the real criminal, Antonio himself becomes a crimina. The director captured quite a bit of emotion through the music and lighting. Various town scenes showed the times to offer little signs of success and fortune. The true standout was the restaurant scene as Bruno watched the weatlhy children eat. Antonio left a melting impression on Bruni when he commented that one must make a million a day to eat like they did.
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