Ladri di biciclette (1948)

Director:

Vittorio De Sica

Writers:

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

Release Date:

13 December 1949 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama

Plot:

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

Plot Keywords:

Job | Bicycle | Poster | Thief | Stolen Bicycle

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
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Giulio Battiferri	...	Citizen Who Protects the Real Thief (uncredited)
Ida Bracci Dorati	...	La Santona (uncredited)
Nando Bruno	...	(uncredited)
Eolo Capritti	...	(uncredited)
Memmo Carotenuto	...	(uncredited)
Giovanni Corporale	...	(uncredited)
Sergio Leone	...	A Seminary Student (uncredited)
Mario Meniconi	...	Meniconi, the Street Sweeper (uncredited)
Massimo Randisi	...	Rich Kid in Restaurant (uncredited)
Checco Rissone	...	Guard in Piazza Vittorio (uncredited)
Peppino Spadaro	...	Police Officer (uncredited)
Umberto Spadaro	...	(uncredited)

Directed by
Vittorio De Sica

Writing credits
Luigi Bartolini		(novel)
Cesare Zavattini		(writer) &
Suso Cecchi d'Amico		(writer) (as Suso D'Amico) &
Vittorio De Sica		(writer) &
Oreste Biancoli		(writer) &
Adolfo Franci		(writer) &
Gerardo Guerrieri		(writer)

Produced by
Giuseppe Amato	....	producer
Vittorio De Sica	....	producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Alessandro Cicognini		(also as Cicognini)

Cinematography by
Carlo Montuori

Film Editing by
Eraldo Da Roma

Production Design by
Antonio Traverso

Production Management
Nino Misiano	....	production supervisor
Umberto Scarpelli	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Luisa Alessandri	....	assistant director
Gerardo Guerrieri	....	assistant director
Sergio Leone	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Sound Department
Biagio Fiorelli	....	sound technician (as Gino Fiorelli)
Bruno Brunacci	....	sound engineer (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Mario Montuori	....	camera operator
Carlo Di Palma	....	focus puller (uncredited)

Music Department
Willy Ferrero	....	conductor

Other crew
Joseph Burstyn	....	distributor
Roberto Moretti	....	production secretary
Alberto Sordi	....	voice dubbing (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Produzioni De Sica

Distributors

• Ente Nazionale Industrie Cinematografiche (ENIC) (1948) (Italy) (theatrical)
• Arthur Mayer & Joseph Burstyn (1949) (USA) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• Image Entertainment (1996) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Image Entertainment (1998) (USA) (DVD)
• Continental Home Vídeo (2002) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Vídeo Mercury Films (2003) (Spain) (DVD)
• Versátil Home Vídeo (2006) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Criterion Collection, The (2007) (USA) (DVD)
• Asociace Ceských Filmových Klubu (ACFK) (????) (Czech Republic) (theatrical)
• Corinth Films (2009) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release) (subtitled)
• Park Circus (2008) (UK) (theatrical) (re-issue)
• RKO Radio Pictures (1951) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Rosenbergs Filmbyrå (1950) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• VEB Progress Film-Vertrieb (1953) (East Germany) (theatrical)
• Continental Home Vídeo (????) (Brazil) (VHS)
• DVD Magic (2005) (Russia) (DVD)
• Homescreen (2008) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Multimedia San Paolo S.r.l. (2002) (Italy) (DVD)
• Studio S (2008) (Sweden) (DVD)
• Umbrella Entertainment (2005) (Australia) (DVD)

Also Known As:

Bicycle Thieves (UK) (USA)
The Bicycle Thief (USA)
The Bicycle Thieves (UK)

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:

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

Filming Locations:

Citta Valmelaina, Via Salaria, Rome, Lazio, Italy

Company:

Produzioni De Sica

Trivia:

The film is frequently on critics' and directors' lists of the best films ever made. It was given an Academy Honorary Award in 1950, and, just four years after its release, was deemed the greatest film of all time by the magazine Sight & Sound's poll of filmmakers and critics in 1952. The film placed sixth as the greatest ever made in the latest directors poll, conducted in 2002.

Quotes:

Antonio Ricci: "Why should I kill myself worrying when I'll end up just as dead?"

Movie Connections:

Featured in Sag-haye velgard (2004)

Heartfelt Drama of Post WWII Poverty a Must-See...

The Italian neo-realist film movement began around the end of WWII with Roberto Rossellini's OPEN CITY in 1946. It is defined and encapsulated by this striking film directed by Vittorio De Sica. THE BICYCLE THIEF is the best of a group of films that depicted the hardship and despair that Europeans, specifically Italians, went through after the death and destruction of the war. The economy was horrible, and the towns and cities were half-destroyed and decaying. Rome is the location for THE BICYCLE THIEF and De Sica shoots the city in grainy black and white with non-professional actors to get a simple, yet unbearingly emotional point across. A simple thing such as a bike can be someone's entire world at that time and losing it means doing something irrational or perhaps necessary.

The lead in the film is played by Lamberto Maggiorani who seems to be a very good actor. He is not an actor, however, and maybe this is why the film hits its mark so well and comes across so realistically. Maggiorani is of this difficult world and his brooding face is a clear indication of this. His job is to plaster film posters up on the walls of buildings all over Rome. He even hangs a picture that symbolizes the absolute opposite of the misery surrounding him. Rita Hayworth from GILDA is on the walls all over the city, a sign of joy to some, a representation of their own lowly status to others.

When the bicycle is actually stolen, the "title" character is sought after by Maggiorani and his young son (Enzo Staiola), a little kid with so much acting ability, you swear this must be a documentary. A grueling search throughout Rome has the essential parts of the movie, because we see up close the actual people and places the neo-realist film movement came to represent. It is a small, sad world they live in and the bike has to be found so that they can live. The father is put to the ultimate test in front of his son. Will he do the honorable thing or will he do what his mind and heart know is only possible? These are the tense moments of the film's climax.

There is a lot of THE BICYCLE THIEF in Benigni's LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL and some obvious comparisons have been drawn because of the father-son relationship. They are worthy of comparison and have equal artistic prowess. What is different about THIEF is the level of intensity maintained throughout. I felt the key element was the music by Alessandro Cicognini, a simple horn that plays so tragically that it is a main character in the picture. What De Sica does here, as well as other neo-realist directors (Rossellini, Fellini), is create for American audiences a powerful counterpoint to what we are used to. An honest, non-corporate portrait of the struggle for life and self-respect. THE BICYCLE THIEF is one of the finest films ever made.

RATING: 10 of 10