Rent Bicycle Thieves (1948)

Social Realism. - Bicycle Thieves review by Steve

This is the masterpiece of Italian neorealism and the pinnacle of social realism on screen. It portrays the shame and humiliation of a man who can't provide for his family. By the fadeout, the huge emotional tide of Vittoria Da Sica's tragedy is hard to bear. If this doesn't break your heart, check your pulse. Then call for help.

The masterstroke is the casting of non professional actors. Lamberto Maggiorani is the careworn father worn down by poverty in destitute post WWII Rome. When his bicycle is stolen he can no longer work, so he pursues its disappearance in accumulating desperation with his son- Enzo Staiola in one of the great child performances.

The depiction of Italy after the devastation of war is profound and detailed. But its dramatic heft is in the utterly convincing relationship between the man and boy as they search through the many strata of Roman society. There is no hope, but they continue on their quest because their need is overwhelming. We feel the burden of their survival.

And see how precarious life is without social cohesion. There is a political subtext, but no polemics. The man is poor and uneducated and doesn't understand how the system works. This is one of the most influential films ever made and inspired many future film makers. It's a monument to humanism which remains absolutely relevant today.

Compelling - Bicycle Thieves review by ND

I thought I ought to watch this as I'd heard of it as a classic and don't like to miss out on such things. The film begins slowly but soon you can gauge the man's desperation, then anguish which, although hard to watch, you can't turn away from unless you have a heart of stone. It's powerful stuff. The little boy, his son, turns in a bravura performance but then so do most of the cast members.

I'm really glad I've seen it now, I strongly recommend it to you.

No Mercy Neo-Realism - Bicycle Thieves review by griggs

A man gets a job. Then someone steals his bike. That’s the entire film. And it’s devastating. Set in postwar Rome, this is a film where every street corner hums with desperation, and hope is as fragile as a piece of paper stapled to a wall.

The premise is simple, but the stakes are enormous; no broke, no job, no food. What elevates it is the relationship between the father and his son. Their search is part detective story, part walking tour of poverty and pride.

The father’s frustration mounts, whilst his options shink, and through it all the boy watches—wide eyed, silent, absorbing everything. It’s unsentimental, but never cold, the heartbreak doesn’t come from the melodrama; it comes from the realism—faves in the crowds, small acts of kindness, moments of quiet failure.

The ending hits with the weight of truth; not noble, not redemptive, just honest. Some films entertain. This one understands A masterpiece of empathy in workman’s clothes.