The Bicycle Thief

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

Title: The Bicycle Thief
Year of Release: 1948
Director: Vittorio De Sica
Genre: Drama/Crime
Rating: 10/10

This Post-WWII Italian film is about a poor man who is lucky enough to get a job, a decent paying one too, but for him to keep this job he needs to use his bicycle, not long after starting the job his bicycle is stolen, he and his son begin looking for it, it is extremely important to him he gets it back, without it, he and his family have little chance of surviving very long.

I didn't find it at all difficult to get into this film, from the beginning to the end I was interested and right into this film. It's one of those films that is very simple yet very good. I really do not want to spoil anything but this film will definitely leave an impression on you if you stick around until the end. It's short, I'm sure you can make it. I had my doubts, a man trying to find his bike, in Rome? Seemed a little too simple and a little too difficult. I don't know if that is what others have thought, and think, but trust me, get past that feeling and you will not regret it.

The characters are not professional actors as well. Vittorio decided to go with amateurs, which I think was a good decision. This film has a very realistic and authentic feel to it, all the characters seem like real people, which again adds to the power of this film, because by the end you sympathize with Riffi and his son in their search of the mans bicycle. The little boy was fantastic in this film and from the very beginning I found him very interesting, he does not seem like a completely normal kid, well maybe it's just the Italian culture, but he seemed very mature, plus I love the way he does the whole "Take it easy" sort of reaction to certain things, ya know, the reaction you see in Mobster movies. Lamberto Maggiorani, who played Antonio, was also very fantastic and felt very authentic, I don't know how to describe him, other than by just saying he does a perfect job of detailing how a desperate man would be, it's that simple, really.

The ending is definitely a very strong point in this film, it is the perfect ending to such a fantastic film. Of course, I don't want to spoil anything, I've mentioned before that this film is powerful, the ending is by far the part that raises it from good to great. I don't have a lot to say, it's my first time seeing this film and maybe in a second viewing I will take more notice to certain details, but this time round I was just enjoying the experience of seeing this film for the first time, and the best thing was that I underestimated it.