Bicycle Thieves (Italian, 1948)

Director: Vittorio De Sica

Cast: Lamberto Maggiorani, Enzo Staiola, Lianella Carell

Genre: Drama

Plot: In the times of great depression--post WWII--a poor man searches for his stolen bicycle without which he won't be able to retain his new job.

It is an economically unstable time and an average family is barely scraping a living. The movie focuses on one such family–husband, wife, their son, and an infant daughter.

The father-son duo take the movie forward. Their interactions and simple day-to-day things have been brought on screen very aesthetically. There are obviously no wide-angle or high-flying shots or anything grand in terms of camera work, the strong point of this classic is showing life onscreen as it is in reality.
   

Everybody is leading a life hardships, and has accepted poverty as being a way of life. Knowing all too well, even in want there is hope, there is love, and family bonding strong as ever.  

No scenes have been pictured with “glumness” as such, but watching these scenes the melancholy that surrounds you is a testimony to director's class.

It is not a movie with fairy tale ending rather a perfect ending. In the end, the protagonist resorts to desperate measures and repents, leaving us all with a sad thought, a bit of pondering and harsh realities.

8.3/10