Just watched the old Italian film, The Bicycle Thieves which is supposed to have inspired Satyajit Ray and is touted to be the Seventh best film ever made! Whoa! It was so poignant and very realisitic! To think this film was made in 1948 is truly astounding !!!
It is about a poor guy in a employment less Italy who finds a job as a poster-sticker for which a bicycle is essential! By selling of the linen sheets the family owns he gets back his bicycle which he had pawned to feed his family only to lose it again to a street theft(filmed very nicely) on his first day at work!
He and his little son begin a futile search for his lost bicycle and they get so close to catching the theif but the fellow escapes! Saddened the protagonist turns thief and is caught when stealing a bicycle and is bashed up in front of his son. The owner of the cycle lets him go for the sake of his son!
The film showcases the plight of the post-war under employed Italy and the struggles of the poor! It also gives insight into the people's belief in clairvoyant seers and how at times of tribulation even the sensible people are made to turn to it for help! It shows the fantastic father-son bonding between the protagonist and son, their petty fights and how the father tries to make up for it and their trip to a little restaurant amidst all the ado! Its really cute to see the kid struggling with his bread containing sticky mozarella cheese!
The little kid's cute and brilliant acting shines throughout the film. The rest of the cast too have delivered fantastic performances which is way too realistic considering the film scene of the 1940s!
Watch it and do let me know what you guys think!!!!
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