Ladri di biciclette (1948)

Director:

Vittorio De Sica

Writers:

Luigi Bartolini (novel)
Cesare Zavattini (writer) ...

Release Date:

13 December 1949 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

A man and his son search for a stolen bicycle vital for his job.

Plot Keywords:

Post War Italy | Falsely Accused | Rome Italy | Father Son Relationship | Neorealism

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 16 wins

Cast

Lamberto Maggiorani	...	Antonio Ricci
Enzo Staiola	...	Bruno Ricci
Lianella Carell	...	Maria Ricci
Gino Saltamerenda	...	Baiocco
Vittorio Antonucci	...	The Thief
Giulio Chiari	...	The Beggar
Elena Altieri	...	The Charitable Lady
Carlo Jachino	...	A Beggar
Michele Sakara	...	Secretary of the Charity Organization
Emma Druetti
Fausto Guerzoni	...	Amateur Actor

Also Known As:

Bicycle Thieves (UK)
The Bicycle Thief (USA)

Runtime:

93 min | Spain:80 min (DVD edition)

Country:

Italy

Language:

Italian

Colour:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:PG | West Germany:12 (f) | Portugal:M/6 | Spain:T | Finland:S | Sweden:Btl | UK:U | South Korea:12

Filming Locations:

Citta Valmelaina, Via Salaria, Rome, Lazio, Italy

Company:

Produzioni De Sica

Trivia:

Prospective producer David O. Selznick originally proposed casting Cary Grant as the lead. Vittorio De Sica countered with a request for Henry Fonda before deciding to cast all amateur actors.

Quotes:

Antonio Ricci: "There's a cure for everything except death."

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Player (1992)

The greatest neorealism film ever made

The Bicycle Thief is without a doubt De Sica's masterpiece of Italian neorealism filmmaking. It is a true landmark in cinema history.

A man who has been unemployed for months is finally given a chance at a job putting up posters. He and his family have been living in poverty for months, and are very exited to hear the news. The only requirement for the job is a bicycle. His wife pawns the sheets off of their own bed in order to buy the bicycle. And, as you can tell from the title, it is stolen on his first day of work. Now, without it, he and his son search the crowded streets of Rome for the only thing that can give him back his dignity as a man.

This is a simple, but very powerful film and I found the relationship between Bruno and his father especially touching. The final scene is a true captivating moment as Bruno witnesses the true nature of man and the world we have created for ourselves.

Don't miss this film, to call it a classic would be an understatement.