Bicycle Thieves: Difference between revisions

In the stagnating slums of post-[[World War II]] Rome, Antonio Ricci (Lamberto Maggiorani) is down-and-out man desperate for a job to support his wife and two children. He finally lands a job putting up posters; but it bears with it the condition that he must own a bicycle. Without one; he's fired. In order to redeem his bike from the pawnbroker, Antonio's wife is forced to pawn their bedsheets (which were a wedding present). But it is worth the loss, for he gets the bike back and it thereby seems they have been delivered from poverty. However; later that day, while Antonio is at work putting up some posters, a young man hops on the bike and rides off with it. Antonio gives chase for a moment but loses the thief. Frantically, he goes to the police, but not realizing the ramifications that having a bike has for Antonio and his family, they refuse to take the theft seriously. When Antonio returns to the scene, all the witnesses to the theft have departed. Thus he and his son Bruno (Enzo Staiola) are forced to haplessly wander the streets of Rome searching for the bike themselves...

 

 

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* [[Amateur Cast]]: The three main actors never appeared on film before.

* [[Cool Shades]]: The apparent leader of the thief's neighbours has them.

* [[Despair Event Horizon]]: See [[He Who Fights Monsters]].