BICYCLE THIEVES (LADRI DI BICICLETTA)

Italy, 1948, 90 minutes, Black and white.
Lamberto Maggioranni, Enzo Staiola, Lianella Carelli.
Directed by Vittorio de Sica.

Bicycle Thieves has been considered for some years one of the greatest films ever made. Vittorio de Sica and his constant writer, Cesare Zavattini, have given us a moving and human document of ordinary people and their plight after the second World War. The film is always associated with the Italian neo-realistic era of film-making, after the war and, indeed, it is a fine example, like de Sica's Shoeshine and Umberto D. Professional actors were not used and de Sica and his crews filmed in the streets and piazzas of Rome, capturing the atmosphere and quality of a life-style that does not exist any more, but which is shown as convincingly real in its day.

The film centres on a family, their poverty, the husband's need for a job, the wife's pawning her sheets, working hard and seeking the aid of a fortune-teller to cope with life. When the husband gets a job pasting up posters and his bicycle is stolen, we are grieved. The scenes of his search, his walking the streets with his little son, the indifferent life of the city, the arrogance of the rich, move us. The plaintive musical score can rightly be called haunting. The climax of the film, very simple in description, where the man succumbs to the temptation of stealing a bike and is caught and humiliated before his son, is almost unbearable to watch. Bicycle Thieves is a worthwhile introduction to film discussion for any group.


1. This is considered one of the best films ever made. Style, content, treatment of human issues?

2. The work of Victorio De Sica in postwar Italian Cinema? The move to neo-realism and the treatment of ordinary people, ordinary human themes, filming in the streets with a sense of authenticity and realism? The implications of this kind of cinema in Italy after the war? As a legacy and record of this period? What it looked like, what it felt like?

3. The use of Roman locations, the streets, the use of amateur players of the central roles? Atmosphere of ordinary people and their problems, relationships, needs, desperation?

4. Rome in the mid-40s? Repercussions of war, poverty, people pawning their goods, employment and the race for jobs? Beggars, thieves, the rich? The unions? The police?

5. The streets and all the detail, cars and trams, posters, Rita Hayworth and the American films, the workers and the early going to work, returning, meetings, the markets, the children begging, the tenements, the lady with the power of sight, people consulting – both rich and poor, football teams and football matches, meals and outings, immersing the audience in this world?

6. The director’s attention to detail communicating feeling, the wife gathering the sheets and washing, bargaining money for them when she pawned them? Joy in getting the money? Getting up in the morning, the first day’s work – the uniform, Bruno’s pride, affectionate farewell? The restaurant meal, comparison with the rich group, the Church sequence of the soup kitchen and the religious ceremony, detailed searching, market-place, long confrontation with the thief in his environment, home, his fix?

7. Sentiment? How well could audiences identify with the protagonists? Antonio, ordinary everyman figure? Hopes for his job, supporting his family, personal pride, as a model for his son? Need for self-respect, earning? The hope of the job, anxiety and getting the bike, satisfaction in having it? Pride in his livelihood? The stealing of the bike, repercussions, his remark to the police that there was such a story behind the theft which people seem to consider so ordinary? People passing him in the street, not knowing or realising how desperate his plight? Desperation building up, the search, intensity of confrontation with the old man? Hopes continually being dashed, the build-up to temptation and desperation, his succumbing to it, immediate humiliation, especially in front of his son? the step-by-step picture of humiliation of an ordinary citizen?

8. Antonio, qualities as a man, strengths and weaknesses? Love for his wife and children, pride in Bruno, trying to do his work well? A man of anger, even to striking his son, desperate, wanting to forget things in the joy of a meal, of the music, worries prevailing, intensity and the confrontations, anxiety about Bruno and the story of the drowned boy, the build-up to his temptation and his succumbing to it and his final tears, Bruno holding his hand?

9. The father and son relationship, walking together, going to work, uniforms, Bruno’s knowledge of the bike? Separating after Antonio hit Bruno? Gradual coming together again of the joy of the meal? Bruno’s admiring his father, shock at the end as he watched his father, wept? Their final hand-in-and as they merged with the crowd and the music came up?

10. Bruno, credible, expressive face, expressions of liveliness, anger and irritation? Pride in the bike, his father, shutting the window when the baby sister was asleep? Going to work, waiting for his father at 7.30? Help in search of other parts of the bike, his reliance on Antonio for direction? Going to the other market, running in the rain and hurting himself, falling? Being hit and his reaction, waiting for his father at the bridge? Hunger and enjoying the meal? The repercussions of his father’s strange behaviour, giving him the money for the tram, seeing his father humiliated and abused, his holding his father’s hand? Coping with this experience?

11. Maria, the attractive young wife in Rome, worry about her husband, the pride in him, the children, washing the sheets, selling them, extra money, joy, the visit to the holy woman,? Affectionate at the beginning of the day, going to see her husband in the Workers’ Union? Ordinary wife and mother?

12. Antonio’s friend, the rehearsal scene with humour, club, the social meeting? Helpers, their great efforts to find the bike? The market, the rackets with the bikes being resold – the policeman and wanting to see the serial number?

13. The stealing of the bike, the plan of the men involved, repercussions on Antonio, his chasing, false lead with the taxi? Confrontation with the boy at the market, chasing him, the interrogation of the old man, finding him immediately after the visit to the holy woman? Arrogance of the thief, his fear, the pressures of the mother and the crowd? Search of the house? Verdict of the policeman that nothing could be done because of the lack of witnesses?

14. Picture of the police, the busy man in the department with so many calls, his treatment of Antonio? The individual police who helped?

15. The visits to La Santora – set up, the people going, Maria’s attitude, her advice to the ugly young man, the ambiguous advice to Antonio, yet the immediate confrontation with the thief?

16. The long sequence with the old man, his character, shuffling away to the church, wanting the soup, his gruff refusal to tell Antonio anything, intensity of Antonio’s pursuing him through the church? The picture of charity in the background, the well-dressed women and the younger amendment? Their trying to quieten him in the church? The oblique comments on religion and charity?

17. The interlude of the rescue of the drowning boy in the river and its effect on Antonio?

18. The happiness of the meal, joy in spending the money, the good food, Bruno’s comparison with the rich boy? The reason?

19. The happiness of the meal, the build-up to Antonio seeing the bikes at the football match, his decision to steal, his letting go and giving in? Audience emotion as he stole the bike?

20. What did Antonio feel as he was caught, as the crowds abused him? The compassion of the owner and his seeing Bruno cry? The final merging in the crowds? What was the audience left with after this experience of basic human needs, desires and sorrows?

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1. Were you moved by the film? Was it too sad?

2. What understanding of human beings did it give you?

3. How did the realistic filming of the Roman streets give the film a greater authenticity and make it more moving?

4. What kind of man was the father? Did you like him? Feel sorry for him? Were you glad when he got the job?

5. How did you feel when the bike was stolen?

6. What kind of woman was the mother? - her pawning of the sheets, love for the family, going to the fortune-teller?

7. What was so likeable and attractive about the little boy?

8. Why was it so desperate, the search for the bicycle?

9. What was the point of the sequence in the Church and the feeding of the poor by the charitable ladies of Rome? Was the scene critical of religion and such charity? What point was being made?

10. How did the sequence of the meat highlight the social differences of Rome and the problems the film was treating? (The two boys eating their dinner),

11. How strong were the bonds between father and son? How was this shown in the film?

12. How does the film show men as a victim of circumstances - especially where the police, the Church and the union are unable to help the victim?

13. Why did the father steal the bicycle? Why is this act so desperate and so hurting?

14. How was the father humiliated in the eyes of his son? Was this the saddest sequence in the film?

15. Comment on the use of the musical theme, especially as father and son walk the streets of Rome,

16. The film has been considered a masterpiece. Do you agree? Why?