An Italian classic, The Bicycle Thief tells the story of a man who ventures all of Rome with his son in search of his stolen bicycle which is required for his job. That's the plot. More than that, it explores themes of the father-son bond, leadership by example, and the pressure and expectation for a man to provide for his family and how failing to do so can lead one to rationalized actions and disappointment.
The whole film-enthusiast world and probably all of my fellow peers will hate me for saying this, but I've never been a fan of classics. Our generation has been spoiled with the improvement in cinematography, sound quality, etc. What I'm sure attracts most people to the classics are the stories themselves, and I can agree that a significant amount of films lack the same quality of story as back in the day.
I was first presented clips of this film in my Foreign Cinema class at NYU, so I remembered bits and pieces, and was also recommended by a friend. The acting in the film was very believable, especially for non-actors, and the story itself heartbreaking. The little boy's emotion and reaction to his father's actions was on point. And I don't know about you, but I can't think of anyone who would go through a similar course of actions in search of a stolen car nowadays.
Now that I have seen it in its entirety, I feel that it's a film that sparks interesting conversation and can really help drive home the importance of staying true to yourself and values, rather than pursuing the 'eye for an eye' mentality, or putting material values ahead of family. At least that's what I took away from it! (So hard describing things without giving away too much!)
"Why should I kill myself worrying when I'll end up just as dead?"
-Antonio Ricci
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