Bicycle Thieves (Italian: Ladri di biciclette), also known as The Bicycle Thief, is a 1948 Italian neorealist film directed by Vittorio De Sica. It tells the story of a poor man searching the streets of Rome for his stolen bicycle, which he needs to be able to work. The film is based on the novel of the same name by Luigi Bartolini and was adapted for the screen by Cesare Zavattini. It stars Lamberto Maggiorani as the poor man searching for his lost bicycle and Enzo Staiola as his son
@velvetinetable I’d definitely watch it in Italian with English subtitles. I like that better than the dubbed version. It is currently available on netflicks watch instantly.
trailer has really convinced me. I must see The Bicycle Thief!
@Erectoralporicy it seems most likley during the great depression.
The villain of the story is the original thief. To paint the villians as ‘the wealthy’ is total nonsense– to elevate ‘extortion’ as a virtue. (Cough up the goods or else folks will burn, ravage, and steal.)
One of the refreshing aspects of the story is the visceral reaction that just normalk folks in the street had to the crime of thievery. This was long before it became the basis for half of modern politics.
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I like the intro to this.
absoluteltly š
absolutelty š
Hey I have a question for the lot of you, now.. It appears to me, that there is a bit of a discrepancy amongst critics and film-goers about the setting of Ladri di Biciclette.. I personally am of the camp that state this film is set in 1948, or at least post-world war II. Yet, it seems as though a lot of people disagree – they themselves believing the film is set during the great depression.. Can anybody give the definitive answer on this matter?
@68blues
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He steals out of desperation. He steals because in troubled times, even the well-meaning and even the good can do the unthinkable to support those who they love. And while I won’t demand you to contradict your own beliefs, I feel we all should have sympathy for Ricci – he is merely a product of a situation that is out of his control. As for the bedsheets.. he sold his bike so that his family could eat. How was he to know that in the future, the bike would be necessary?
@68blues
Well it’s because the translation from Italian could be taken as both ‘The bicycle thief’ and ‘The bicycle thieves’, and when you think about it, both ways could be considered rather poetic. And while I agree that he isn’t the most intelligent, and capable man – and while I certainly agree that he stole that bike in the end, I think you might be missing some of the points of the film. Ricci doesn’t steal the bike out of malice, or because he is a bad person. —
@68blues God you are an idiot.
Terrific movie… If you watch it, you will never forget it. I will be in your top 20 movies all of times for the rest of your life.
Which song is played starting from 2:44?
@chumbersdee What btapianunez said. This isn’t some film that plays with your emotions like a puppet. It’s film that’s supposed to open your eyes and show the reality of the world and that it’s not always a happy ending. I actually didn’t feel anything immediately after watching it, but after hours of reflection, I came to realize how great of a film this really was.
@dogoMan2000 You’d have to see the film to understand. This is post-World War II Italy. Most people couldn’t afford a car, let alone feed themselves.
It’s one of the saddest films I have ever seen. It really shows you what life was like then. Tragic.
@johnss24601 Nice choice of film! It did get re-released in theaters for its 40th anniversary. Since its 50th anniversary is just around the corner, it might get re-released again. So you’ll get your wish.
@frtw4428 That sounds cool. I’d like to get a change to see this and alot of other classic films on the big screen. The number one film I’d like to see on the big screen is Lawrence of Arabia. The breathtaking vistas would look great on there.
I used to live near the Guild Theater in Menlo Park, CA. When it first opened in 1926, admission was just 25 cents! For its 75th anniversary, the Guild offered that same admission price and the film chosen to celebrate the occassion was “The Bicycle Thief.” My wife and I saw it before, but never before in a theater – until that day. To see this masterpiece on the big screen is like seeing a classic painting up-close in a museum. I hope everyone can see it this same way.
I like neo-realism, but, why bicycles? cars or something else would sound more apealing…….I’ll give it a try any way
excellent movieĀ”Ā”Ā”