Week 13

Bicycle Thief

Italian based movie directed by Vittorio De Sica in 1948. It's considered as one of the best movies of this era and I strongly agree. while a man searches for a work hopelessly, one day there is a job with a man with a bicycle. A man along with his wife helps him to pawn a bicycle, which he would take every day to work as a poster hanger.

In a movie, a bike represents an essential asset for Ricci; a character who is entirely driven by class and economic need. The bike allows Ricci to go to work and earn some money to feed his wife and son.

In the movie, the use of nonprofessional actors is obviously seen. most of them act as to be not helpful and kind of bad. while in some scene like rescuing boy at the river. These people seem very helpful.

Character Arc: Antonio Ricci: When a movie starts, Ricci is curious to provide his family in economically suffering post-war Italy. however after a bike being stolen. Antonio undergoes a drastic change in character. He no longer carries the high moral standards as shown at the beginning of the movie. His self-pity makes him blind and ignorant to all the suffering around him. However, the journey to find his lost bicycle becomes fruitless and he fails. He becomes a vulnerable person to society. He even ignores his own son Bruno.  He undergoes some psychological thoughts regarding Bruno.  Later feeds him well at the restaurant, despite knowing the value of money and its tremendous importance for his family. he tends to treat their moment by forgetting whatever happened in the past.

Boys opinion of his father.  As they are big in number, They would put blame on Antonio for accusing insult and hurting a boy who seems to steal his bike. He is left heartbroken.

For me, the movie was a bit different with lots of suspense. It starts with a happy beginning to the sad ending. I feel very pitty for Antonio, he is such a nice guy who seems to be hardworking and loyal to his work. His son has beautifully improvised the act as a carefree child. Though he is underaged he works in a gas station to supper his poverty-stricken family. I find his acting very adorable.
The thief in the movie also seems to have very extreme poverty driven life. The movie somehow humanizes the thief as he also suffered from a seizure, a critical medical condition.