Bicycle Thief and Italian Neo-realism

Italian Neo-realism

Bicycle Thief

            The film, Bicycle Thief, made during the peak of Italian Neo-realism, effectively portrays the realist movie structure. The movie follows a hard-working man through his struggle to retrieve his stolen bicycle. Realist elements such as loose film structure and deep focus can be seen throughout the film. For example, the plot revolves around the life of a man who works hard in order to make money to provide for his family. His job of putting up posters around the city requires a bicycle to travel around more effectively. In order to buy a bicycle for his job, the man must sell sets of sheets from his house. Many people were at the trading place, trying to sell their belongings in exchange for money. This everyday aspect of life during this time period was portrayed in the film. On the first day of his job, the man’s bicycle is stolen. The plot evolved slowly towards the beginning of the film, and then once the man’s bicycle was stolen, the plot of the movie became apparent. The man’s determination to retrieve his stolen bicycle and his struggles in the process evoke the audience’s sympathy for the character. In order to do this, the director takes a compassionate point of view on the unfortunate situation and obstacles the man must overcome in desperation to find his bicycle. The film focuses on societal issues such as poverty when, at the beginning of the film, a group of men stand around waiting for a job. During this time, there were not many jobs available and if was difficult to find a job stable enough to provide for a family. The bicycle is so important to the man because it allows him to carry out his work and provide for his family.

             In addition to the realist thematic aspects of Bicycle Thief, the realist camera shots are also seen in the movie. A majority of the scenes are in deep focus, with everything in the background as clear and as sharp as the characters. This makes the viewers understand that the setting is an important contribution to the storyline and the plot. For example, whenever the man walks in the streets in search for his stolen bicycle, everything is completely in focus to show that that bicycle could be anywhere and the man must keep his eyes open for any clues. The deep focus keeps the audience’s focus away from only the main character and makes them look all around the scene just as the man must do when searching for his bicycle. Also, the shots are put together in a lose structure with minimal technology such as editing and special effects. The minimal editing and camera cuts, gives a more realistic, natural feeling to the film. The minimal technology keeps the audience focused on the daily routines and plot of the film, instead of on special effects. The final realist aspect of Bicycle Thief remains the classic, “endless” ending. At the end of the film, the man attempts to steal someone else’s bicycle out of desperation, except, he is caught in the act. The film ends with the man and his son walking side-by-side, the man crying out of shame, into a large group of people. Nobody knows where the group is walking to, making the audience wonder what will happen to the man and his family. The ending leaves the audience heavily thinking about the film and its significance by giving such an honest and transparent concluding scene.