NekoHomey Purely Joyful Movie!

Matrixiole Simple and well acted, it has tension enough to knot the stomach.

InformationRap This is one of the few movies I've ever seen where the whole audience broke into spontaneous, loud applause a third of the way in.

Fulke Great example of an old-fashioned, pure-at-heart escapist event movie that doesn't pretend to be anything that it's not and has boat loads of fun being its own ludicrous self.

TheNabOwnzz On the surface Vittorio de Sica's Bicycle Thieves doesn't appear to have a story worth filming about, since it is about a poor man whose bicycle gets stolen while on the job, but de Sica has somehow given this neorealistic motion picture such depth and such emotion that it has turned into such a great and personal film which is loved by many.It has to be noted that this is a neorealism picture, meaning that none of the actors in the film were really actors, but random people who are usually associated with their respective role. I did not find out about this until after i watched it, and i was not beginning to doubt it since the actors in this film are just as good as professional ones. Lamberto Maggiorani, who was a steel worker, captures the inner struggles and desperation of his character perfectly with his exceptional facial acting and his true energetic relentlessness in searching for his stolen bicycle.One has to ofcourse understand the struggles of post WWII italy in order to relate to the financial situation of this film, since there were a lot of poor struggling families like the one we follow in the film, and their tale of forlorn attempts to improve. We also have some great black and white cinematography which visually also creates a narrative of its own of how poverty seems to reign in Rome, with many shots of poor homes. The screenplay is as simple as the movie but still consists of so many morally questionable and realistic dialogue such as 'There's a cure for everything, except death'. Also worth a mention is the incredible score by Alessandro Cicognini, whose violins accurately enhance the sad story that is being played out on screen.Especially the final thirty minutes are absolute world class, and the final climax ( Without spoiling anything ) shows its inevitable ending so greatly. The events that unfold in the film might be simple, but it's the kind of film that will make a great emotional impact on you even when the simplest things happen due to the truly realistic depressing feeling and the great connection with the characters.

avik-basu1889 Although initially I had planned to write an elaborate review of 'Bicycle Thieves', but then I thought it really was a pointless act because millions of filmmakers, critics and fans have already established in numerous reviews, essays and homages why the film is masterful. So in the end, I decided to mention some magical scenes/moments in the film I noticed on this particular viewing that are either rich in humanism or which underline the general social conditions of war ravaged Italy :1. Subtle moment where Antonio helps Maria when she struggles to go down the slope carrying the two heavy buckets. 2. The smile on Maria and Antonio's face when the pawn shop attendant increases the exchange amount for their bed sheets from 7000 to 7500. 3. The shot where Antonio watches one of the pawn shop attendants carrying his family's bed sheets and the camera slowly reveals numerous,almost infinite bunch of bed sheets belonging to other families stacked on a towering wall of shelves, thus expanding the scope of the film in a social and political sense and pluralising the focus for a few seconds. 4. The moment where Bruno closes the window of the room before going out for work with his father in order to prevent the sunlight from coming in and falling on his baby brother/sister's face. 5. The moment where Antonio is being taught how to stick a poster on the wall and the camera suddenly shifts to two street boys who run after a rich man to ask for money. 6. The heartbreaking look on Maria's face when she becomes aware of the theft.7. The poetic moment where a bunch of chattering priests stand next to Antonio and Bruno to take shelter from the rain and subsequently we see the rain stall and the clouds disappear. As a matter of fact, 'The Bicycle Thieves' has a very interestingly ambiguous relationship with religion and mysticism. 8. The shot of Bruno standing alone at the top of a flight of stairs on a monument.9. The look of sheer joy on Bruno's face when Antonio proposes the thought of eating pizza. 10. The entire sequence in the restaurant when father and son temporarily abandon all pressing issues and decide to enjoy a meal together. 11. The shot where we see a woman with her child in the opposite apartment in the background slowly close the window as Antonio talks to the policeman in the foreground. 12. The look of sheer horror on Bruno's face as he sees his father being chased by a mob. 13. The close-up of Antonio's face at the very end of the film as he walks away with his son by his side. That haunting look on his face has the power to reduce even the hardest of men to tears. 14. The very last shot which was inspired by Chaplin's 'Modern Times' is pitch perfect. It again expands the scope of the film. We the audience say goodbye to our primary characters, as they walk away towards an uncertain future, again becoming a faceless part of the Italian working class. 15. Although this isn't a particular moment per se, but the music by Alessandro Cicognini deserves a special mention. The basic score of 'Bicycle Thieves' has an inherent despair and a sense of melancholy that is deeply moving and inescapable.It is a cliché, but it's a cliché worth repeating every time, 'Bicycle Thieves' is a stone cold masterpiece. Although it belongs to a specific time and was a result of specific social circumstances, one doesn't need to be an Italian who had lived during the post WWII era or even have any awareness of what Italian Neorealism means to feel its power. 'Bicycle Thieves' transcends temporal, cultural and social barriers due to the timelessness and universality of its humanity and its emotions. In a matter of 90 minutes, De Sica manages to perfectly showcase the kind of circumstances which might force a human being to compromise and abandon his/her subjective opinions and stances as well as objective conceptions of morality. There is no right or wrong, good or bad. Poverty and the basic need for survival can create a situation and a society where every person is only a few moments away from becoming a 'bicycle thief'.

powermandan I'm not saying this is a bad film. It is actually quite good. The acting and story are marvellous. I just don't like how much people praise this and call it Italy's greatest film. It's got nothing on films like La Dolce Vita or Life Is Beautiful. I do agree that this is the best Italian Neo-Realist film, but that was an overrated movement with just one of two well-known films. I'm not trashing this, I just don't think it deserves such high praise.The Italian Neo-Realist movement was around post-WWII that focused on the country's oppression, using real people instead of actors, on-location shooting, and other shenanigans to capture the most real feeling. That being said, the technical aspect of this was good but nothing special. pretty good. Not as inventive as the French New Wave era a few years after, but still fine.The movie's premise is what makes this film so good. The Ricci family is dirt-poor, but Antonio manages to get a job putting up posters around Rome. The only thing he needs to provide is a bicycle. If no bike, no dice. A few weeks before, he sold his bike in order to secure his finances. Now he is in desperation to buy a new one and earn a living to bring his family out of poverty. This first act that gives us an idea who the family are is perfect in terms of building up exactly who they are. During his first day, his bike gets stolen. His son, Bruno, and friends help him try to find it. There is no proof of who stole it, and with all the bikes in the city, they're looking for a needle in a haystack. Sure they are seeking a bike, but it is more than just a bike. It represents the family's future and what Antonio needs. Along the way, Antonio and Bruno's relationship between father and son grows as they try something that will take such a long time to do. I totally get the deal with what the bike represents and the father-son relationship. And people often call the ending one of the saddest ever. I easily agree. But what do I have a problem with in this film? A man searching for the source of what he needs the most sounds like excitement will be stirred up. And especially in such a oppressive time period. There aren't any turns-of-events like there should be and not much unfolds. Antonio finding the culprit is all there is in terms of new information being brought to the table. There are some good scenes other than that, but they aren't awesome nor do they help advance the story. The drama could have been kept, but an increase in complexity and furthering the reach of the story would have made for a much better movie deserving of all the praise it gets. Maybe have Antonio steal someone's bike and successfully get away with it for a short period of time. Just a thought.But nonetheless, what we have is just alright with me. The actors are fine and I really like the general premise. Scale of 1-10: 7.5/10

Jack Hawkins (Hawkensian) 'Bicycle Thieves' is a sometimes poignant film about the plight of the 'little man' who has no contacts, no influence, no money, no nothing'.I must admit that the extremely high esteem in which it is held leaves me slightly at a loss. Its themes of wealth and class are clear but they rarely evoked much emotion within me for Antonio - our protagonist and victim of the titular bicycle thieves - is rather dull. The one and only exception to this is when he gleefully indulges at a local restaurant with his son Bruno. Alas, the pleasure it brings them is fleeting.I felt a modicum of indignation here and a degree of pathos there, but ultimately, 'Bicycle Thieves' did not compel me. Certainly not compared to the gritty kitchen sink fare of the British New Wave some years later. Rather, I appreciated it as a cinematic artefact; an educational experience rather than an entertaining one.