Bicycle Thieves (Ladri di Biciclette)

There is an overwhelming sadness in this movie, all so much sadder because the sense of loss is linked to something so aperently meaningless as a bike.

In this masterpiece from the 40's by director De Sica, we follow three days in the life of Antonio and his family, in post-war Rome. Antonio was just lucky enough to find a job, after months of disoccupation, one among hundreds of jobless people waiting in the streets to hear their name. His family could not be happier, but he needs a bike for his job and his bike gets stolen minutes after he starts working. It is a downward spiral of search and loss from that moment on.

The fabula follows the best tradition of a dramatic tale: a start in a distressed situation; a good news that seems to be enough to fix it all; an incident that threatens the recently found happiness; a struggle; a defeat. 

This film is extremely armonic in its tragedy: it is like listening to the Opera, it could very easily be music. The Roman background, the voices, the faces, the journey and the runs of Antonio and his kid, the hope and the desperation chasing each other: they all sing together in perfect armony, for a very upsetting result.

I have recently watched a movie from last year that reminded me a lot of this one: A better life. Here, it is not post-war Italy, but 21st century Southern California and the main characters are not Italian but Mexican. With all the due differantions (they remain very distant movies), you can see in both films a sense of desperation and inevitability; the struggle to get out of a mean system that does its best to keep you down; the father-son duo; the object of redemption, stolen. 

Coming back to the original focus of this post, my personal favorite scenes from Bicycle thieves are the one were Bruno is cleaning his dad's bike the night before his first day on the new job, so pround and so mad at those who had ruined the bike; and the one when Bruno and Antonio, nervous and tired after a day of search, sit down and eat and drink without thinking of the money, because Antonio has nothing to lose (if because he knows they will find the bike or he realizes they never will...I never quite understood).

The finale is so definitive and yet so painfully open. What will be of them now? What will Maria say when they get home? What else do they have left to pawn?

These never answered interrogatives on the future of the miserable Ricci family are accompanied by other, more universal and yet as unanswered questions. What is a man deprived of the chance to take care of his family? What is one willing to sacrifice? What when you have nothing left to give, both material and moral? What is life when you are constantly hit? Which one will be the final blow, the one that knocks you out for good?

Director: Vittorio De Sica
Writers: Luigi Bartolini (novel), Cesare Zavattini
Stars: Lamberto Maggiorani, Enzo Staiola and Lianella Carell