#14: Bicycle Thieves

Bicycle Thieves (De Sica, 1948)

I'll say before I get started, Bicycle Thieves is on my short list for greatest films of all time. A lot of people like to talk about the accomplishment of the film, that De Sica used nonprofessional actors and produced the film for only $50,000. But that kind of talk can mislead you into thinking the film only has historical merit. The film is a realistic, simple, and universal look at the emotional impact of extreme poverty, and every single scene of the movie is memorable.

The movie starts out with a mob of unemployed workers waiting outside a work agency to see if they have any work for them today. You get the impression they do this every day, and usually only a few of them if any are given jobs. The main character is given a job hanging posters around the city, but he can only get the job if he has his bicycle, which he sold for grocery money. So to keep the job, he has to sell his bed sheets to buy the bicycle back. But his first day on the job, his bicycle is stolen. He goes to the police, and they tell him there's nothing they can do for him. All they can do is take the serial number of the bicycle so if he finds it on his own at a pawn shop or something he can prove it's his. He goes off in search of the thief, but it's a big city and he didn't get a very good look at him, so his chances are slim to nil from the beginning. Along the way he accuses and threatens people of being involved in the theft. The job represents his escape from helplessness and his ability to support his family and give them happiness like a man is supposed to, and his helplessness at losing his bicycle causes him to lash out at everybody, eventually putting him on the same level as the thief. The film is beautiful and completely engrossing the whole way through. It's short and simple, with no wasted scenes or excess dialog. There may be a few films on the same level as this one, but none that are better.


Rating: ***** / 5

63/101

Next: Letter From An Unknown Woman, Jules and Jim, Greed

New films:

The Girl Who Played With Fire: 5/10

The movie is good 'further development' for the characters established in The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo. But it doesn't have much to offer that's new of it's own.