Vittorio De Sica's The Bicycle Thief

Chua Hsu Yann ( Wish ) As we have often been pointed out, Neorealism never got more real than the original Italian title of Vittorio De Sica 's The Bicycle Thief (1948) or "Bicycle Thieves ' '. In other words, the plural itself actually indicates that there is more than one thief in the story. Hence, it turns out that there are two thieves who appeared first at the film 's beginning while the another shows up at the end of the film.

This film is basically portray that the joblessness rate is high in postwar Italy. Antonio Ricci is finally offered a job as a poster after being jobless for two years. Thus, in order to hang up the posters he needs a bike for his own as a condition. 'No bike, no job. ' This is what he being told clearly.

The emphasis on the daily struggles of ordinary people is a key concern of Italian neo-realist directors. In fact, they wished to portray reality in a more truthful manner than the era 's main escapist studio production, whether it is came from Hollywood or Italy 's own Cinecitta. Apart from these, other typical characteristics of neo-realism also included of location shooting and the use of non-professional actors as well.

On the other hand, one of the most distinctive features of The Bicycle Thief is its use of non-professional actors. In point of fact, Lamberto Maggiorani, who acts as Antonio Ricci, was formerly a factory worker. His height, angular frame and high cheekbones had made him an effective choice for the part, his body type is a symptomatic of the wounded dignity of an ordinary unemployed man.

Throughout the film, Bruno is representing the growing generation of post-fascist Italians, proves not only his resourcefulness and capability, but also his eagerness to involve himself in helping his father in re-building their