Bicycle Thieves
Ladri de Bicicletti
Sunday 7th October 3:00pm
Directed by: Vittorio De Sica
Released: 1948
Run
time: 87 minutes
Classification U
View trailer on Youtube: click here
In post-war Italy, a working-class man’s bicycle is stolen, with possible catastrophic consequences
“One of the fifteen most influential films in Cinema history” Turner Classic Movies
Ricci, an unemployed man in the depressed post-war economy of Italy, at last gets a good job putting up posters. Soon his bicycle is stolen and Ricci and Bruno walk the streets of Rome trying to find it; knowing perfectly well that without his bicycle he won’t be able to keep his job.
Vittorio De Sica was an Italian director, actor and a leading figure in the neo-realist movement. Four of his films won Academy Awards, Scuiscia (Shoeshine) and Bicycle Thieves were awarded honorary Oscars, while Leri Oggi Domani and the Garden of the Finzi Continis won best foreign language film Oscar.
For the cast of Bicycle Thieves, De Sica chose non-professional actors: Lamberto Maggiorani was a factory fitter who had brought his son to audition for the male lead. Lianella Carell was a journalist who came to interview De Sica when he was looking for someone to play Maria, but when he saw her he instantly decided that she would play Maria in the movie. Enzo Staiola, who plays Bruno, was spotted in the crowd watching the filming.
