Bicycle Thieves is a 1948 drama film directed by Vittorio De Sica.
Italian master Vittorio De Sica's Bicycle Thieves is a harrowing portrait of loss and deprivation in post-war Rome, reflecting a stark era of desperation and survival. It is a time where owning a bicycle can mean the difference between having a job and providing for one's family or forever going hungry.
De Sica combined with long-time collaborator, writer Cesare Zavattini (Miracle in Milan, Umberto D), to produce a potent mix of real life detail, detective story and poetic melodrama as dedicated father Antonio Ricci (Lamberto Maggiorani) and his devoted son Bruno (Enzo Staiola) roam the streets of the capital in search of a stolen bicycle which signifies hope, optimism and will surely deliver them from the abject poverty they currently face.
Vividly shot on location in the streets of Rome using non-professional actors, bringing great prominence to the Italian neorealist film movement, The Bicycle Thief was awarded an honorary Oscar® for Best Foreign Film in 1950. Special features include the documentary ‘That's Life’ about Vittorio De Sica and exclusive to this Blu Ray release: ‘Cesare Zavattini’ – a feature-length documentary on screenwriter, novelist, critic and long time De Sica collaborator.
Special Features:
- That's Life (54 mins) – a documentary about the life of Vittorio De Sica featuring a number of clips from his movies and personal life.
- Cesare Zavattini (56 mins) – a feature-length documentary on screenwriter, novelist, critic and long time De Sica collaborator.
- Theatrical Trailer
Awards:
- Won Honorary Award Italy. Voted by the Academy Board of Governors as the most outstanding foreign language film Academy Awards, USA 1950
- Won Best Foreign Film Italy Golden Globes 1950
- Won Best Film from any Source BAFTA Awards 1950
- Won Best European Film Vittorio De Sica (director) Bodil Awards 1951
- Won Best Foreign Film Cinema Writers Circle Awards, Spain 1951
- 13 Other wins, 1 nomination.
Bicycles Thieves Movie Reviews:
“De Sica carefully balances a generally tragic sensibility with a quiet undercurrent of hope, all the while sucking us into the story with the sheer urgency of the search for a stolen bicycle.” Time Out
“The work of screenwriter Cesare Zavattini, director Vittorio De Sica, the nonprofessional actors, and many others is so charged with a common purpose that there's no point in even trying to separate their achievements.” Chicago Reader
“This film manages to appeal to the better angels of our nature in a way that only deepens as we grow older along with the film.” Los Angeles Times
“The Bicycle Thief does have a certain ramshackle simplicity, quietness, and even naivete that are not unwelcome as a change from the stunning noise, ingenuity, and sophistication of Hollywood.” The Nation
“Enzo Staioli is an absolute revelation as son Bruno. With a mop of irrepressible hair that even a downpour of rain cannot long suppress, Bruno is a 7-year-old fellow pilgrim and witness to the joyous and heartbreaking events – the film's silent narrator.” Sarasota Herald-Tribune