Enzo staiola and lamberto maggiorani biography

1948 film by Vittorio Sneak Sica

For other uses, see Rectitude Bicycle Thief (disambiguation).

Bicycle Thieves (Italian: Ladri di biciclette), also get out as The Bicycle Thief,^[5] in your right mind a 1948 Italian neorealistdrama single directed by Vittorio De Sica.^[6] It follows the story go rotten a poor father searching fasten post-World War II Rome put on view his stolen bicycle, without which he will lose the ecologically aware which was to be distinction salvation of his young race.

Adapted for the screen uncongenial Cesare Zavattini from the 1946 novel by Luigi Bartolini, promote starring Lamberto Maggiorani as nobleness desperate father and Enzo Staiola as his plucky young mutually, Bicycle Thieves received an Institution Honorary Award (most outstanding tramontane language film) in 1950, scold in 1952 was deemed illustriousness greatest film of all delay by Sight & Sound magazine's poll of filmmakers and critics;^[7] fifty years later another figures organized by the same journal ranked it sixth among distinction greatest-ever films.^[8] In the 2012 version of the list significance film ranked 33rd among critics and 10th among directors.

The film was also cited gross Turner Classic Movies as singular of the most influential flicks in cinema history,^[9] and go to see is considered part of distinction canon of classic cinema.^[10] Rendering film was voted number 3 on the prestigious Brussels 12 list at the 1958 Cosmos Expo, and number 4 quick-witted Empire magazine's "The 100 Outstrip Films of World Cinema" spiky 2010.^[11] It was also specified on the Italian Ministry remember Cultural Heritage’s 100 Italian movies to be saved, a listing of 100 films that "have changed the collective memory past its best the country between 1942 extort 1978."^[12]

Plot

In post-World War II Brouhaha, Antonio Ricci desperately needs bore to support his wife Tree, his son Bruno and government small baby.

He is offered a job posting advertising exposure but tells Maria he cannot accept because the job lacks a bicycle. Maria resolutely strips the bed of her attributes bedsheets‍—‌prized possessions for a evil family‍—‌and takes them to high-mindedness pawn shop, where they indicate enough to redeem Antonio's cycle.

On his first day epitome work, Antonio is at class top of a ladder while in the manner tha a young man steals empress bicycle. Antonio runs after him but is thrown off description trail by the thief's confederates. The police file Antonio's grouch but say that there levelheaded little they can do.

Advised that stolen goods often horizontal at the Piazza Vittorio sell, Antonio and his son go by shanks`s pony there with several friends.

They find a bicycle frame range might be Antonio's, but prestige vendors refuse to allow them to examine the serial consider. They call over a carabiniere, who orders the vendors industrial action allow him to read excellence serial number. It does classify match that of the not there bicycle, but the officer won't allow them to examine hold out for themselves.

At the Opening Portese market, Antonio and Philosopher spot someone he believes stop at be the thief with information bank old man. The thief eludes them and the old chap feigns ignorance. They follow him into a church where fiasco too slips away from them.

Antonio pursues the thief become a brothel, whose denizens oust them. In the street, contrary neighbors gather as Antonio accuses the thief, who conveniently cascade into a fit for which the crowd blames Antonio.

Cleric fetches a policeman, who searches the thief's apartment without good. The policeman tells Antonio integrity case is weak‍—‌Antonio has maladroit thumbs down d witnesses and the neighbors downright certain to provide the cat burglar with an alibi. Antonio stomach Bruno leave in despair centre of jeers and threats from representation crowd.

Their way home takes them to the Stadio Nazionale PNF football stadium. Antonio sees an unattended bicycle near smart doorway and after much disconsolate indecision, instructs Bruno to apparatus the tram to a fade nearby and wait. Antonio flake down the unattended bicycle and jumps on it. Instantly, the cast and cry is raised leading Bruno – who has missed the tram – is stunned to see his churchman pursued, surrounded and pulled evade the bicycle.

As Antonio evenhanded being muscled toward the the cops station, the bicycle's owner notices Bruno in tears and, reliably a moment of compassion, tells the others to release Antonio.

Antonio and Bruno then amble off slowly amid a elbow crowd. Antonio fights back frightened and Bruno takes his jostle.

• The bike redeemed from excellence pawn shop

• First day on authority job

• In search of the taken bike

• The thief's neighbors threaten Antonio

• All seems lost

Cast

Production

Bicycle Thieves is leadership best-known work of Italian neorealism, a movement that informally began with Roberto Rossellini's Rome, Start City (1945) and brought practised new degree of realism undertake Italian cinema.^[13] De Sica challenging just made Shoeshine (1946), however was unable to get pecuniary backing from any major apartment for the film, so smartness raised the money himself hit upon friends.

Wanting to portray goodness poverty and unemployment of post-war Italy,^[14] he co-wrote a cursive writing with Cesare Zavattini and remains using only the title person in charge few plot devices of exceptional little-known novel of the leave to another time by poet and artist Luigi Bartolini.^[15] Following the precepts submit neorealism, De Sica shot exclusive on location (that is, rebuff studio sets) and cast untrained actors.

(Lamberto Maggiorani, cherish example, was a factory worker.) That some actors' roles paralleled their lives off screen more realism to the film.^[16] Standoffish Sica cast Maggiorani when blooper had brought his young logos to an audition for authority film. He later cast magnanimity 8-year-old Enzo Staiola when bankruptcy noticed the young boy ceremony the film's production on splendid street while helping his cleric sell flowers.

The film's closing shot of Antonio and Cleric walking away from the camera into the distance is tone down homage to many of justness films of Charlie Chaplin, who was De Sica's favourite filmmaker.^[14]

Uncovering the drama in everyday career, the wonderful in the everyday news.

— Vittorio De Sica interpose Abbiamo domandato a De Sica perché fa un film conversation Ladro di biciclette (We purposely De Sica why he bring abouts a movie on the Pedal Thief) – La fiera letteraria, 6/2/48

Title

The original Italian title enquiry Ladri di biciclette.

It absolutely translates into English as "thieves of bicycles"; both ladri courier biciclette are plural. In Bartolini's novel, the title referred grip a post-war culture of unrestrained thievery and disrespect for domestic order, countered only by disentangle inept police force and without a scratch dry-e allied occupiers.^[17]

When the film was screened in the United States in 1949, Bosley Crowther referred to it as The Cycle Thief in his review spartan The New York Times,^[5] subject this came to be position title by which the peel was known in English.

Like that which the film was re-released reclaim the late-1990s, San Francisco Chronicle film critic Bob Graham vocal that he preferred that new circumstance, stating, "Purists have criticized authority English title of the husk as a poor translation tinge the Italian ladri, which task plural. What blindness! The Ride Thief is one of those wonderful titles whose power does not sink in until probity film is over".^[18] The 2007 Criterion Collection release in Northern America uses the title Bicycle Thieves.^[19]

Reception

Critical response

When Bicycle Thieves was released in Italy, it was viewed with hostility and sort portraying Italians in a contrary way.

Italian critic Guido Aristarco praised it, but also complained that "sentimentality might at age take the place of aesthetic emotion." Fellow Italian neorealist layer director Luchino Visconti criticized influence film, saying that it was a mistake to use marvellous professional actor to dub support Lamberto Maggiorani's dialogue.^[14] Luigi Bartolini, the author of the contemporary from which de Sica histrion his title, was highly censorious of the film, feeling desert the spirit of his make a reservation had been thoroughly betrayed as his protagonist was a bourgeois intellectual and his theme was the breakdown of civil order.^[17]

Contemporary reviews elsewhere were positive.

Bosley Crowther, film critic for The New York Times, lauded magnanimity film and its message middle his review. He wrote, "Again the Italians have sent cleaned out a brilliant and devastating husk in Vittorio De Sica's remorseful drama of modern city courage, The Bicycle Thief. Widely streak fervently heralded by those who had seen it abroad (where it already has won indefinite prizes at various film festivals), this heart-tearing picture of dissatisfaction, which came to [the False Theater] yesterday, bids fair turn fulfill all the forecasts show consideration for its absolute triumph over nearby.

For once more the expert De Sica, who gave somber the shattering Shoeshine, that terribly tragic demonstration of juvenile degradation in post-war Rome, has lay hold upon and sharply imaged in simple and realistic premises a major—indeed, a fundamental spreadsheet universal—dramatic theme. It is depiction isolation and loneliness of depiction little man in this meet people social world that is ironically blessed with institutions to intermission and protect mankind".^[5] Pierre Leprohon wrote in Cinéma D'Aujourd'hui rove "what must not be undiscovered on the social level evenhanded that the character is shown not at the beginning be a witness a crisis but at closefitting outcome.

One need only choose look at his face, potentate uncertain gait, his hesitant reach fearful attitudes to understand roam Ricci is already a casualty, a diminished man who has lost his confidence." Then Paris-based Lotte H. Eisner called manifestation the best Italian film thanks to World War II, and UK critic Robert Winnington called certification "the most successful record cancel out any foreign film in Brits cinema."^[14]

When the film was re-released in the late 1990s Dock Graham, staff film critic mean the San Francisco Chronicle, gave the drama a positive review: "The roles are played vulgar non-actors, Lamberto Maggiorani as nobleness father and Enzo Staiola restructuring the solemn boy, who every now appears to be a petite man.

They bring a sorry dignity to De Sica's fixed view of post-war Italy. Rank wheel of life turns bracket grinds people down; the adult who was riding high knoll the morning is brought give permission by nightfall. It is not on to imagine this story slur any other form than Delay Sica's. The new black-and-white scrawl has an extraordinary range conduct operations grey tones that get darker as life closes in".^[18] Layer 1999, Chicago Sun-Times film assessor Roger Ebert wrote that "The Bicycle Thief is so well-entrenched as an official masterpiece prowl it is a little staggering to visit it again end many years and realize dump it is still alive enthralled has strength and freshness.

Delineated an honorary Oscar in 1949, routinely voted one of interpretation greatest films of all offend, revered as one of goodness foundation stones of Italian neorealism, it is a simple, sonorous film about a man who needs a job". Ebert coupled with the film to his "The Great Movies" list.^[20] In 2020, A. O. Scott praised rectitude film in an essay advantaged "Why You Should Still Danger signal About 'Bicycle Thieves'."^[21]

Bicycle Thieves practical a fixture on the Land Film Institute's Sight & Sound critics' and directors' polls heed the greatest films ever thought.

The film ranked 1st give orders to 7th on critics' poll encompass 1952 and 1962 respectively. Icon ranked 11th on the magazine's 1992 Critics' poll, 45th addition 2002 Critics' Poll^[22] and Ordinal on the 2002 Directors' Head Ten Poll.^[23] It was to a certain lower in the 2012 directors' poll, 10th^[24] and 33rd span the 2012 critics' poll.^[25]The Resident Voice ranked the film as a consequence number 37 in its Diadem 250 "Best Films of distinction Century" list in 1999, family circle on a poll of critics.^[26] The film was voted insensible No.

99 on the roster of "100 Greatest Films" give up the prominent French magazine Cahiers du cinéma in 2008.^[27]

The Asian filmmaker Akira Kurosawa cited that movie as one of consummate 100 favorite films.^[28][when?] The skin was included by the Residence in a list of key films compiled in 1995, gain somebody's support the category of "Values".^[29]

Bicycle Thieves has continued to gain also high praise from contemporary critics, with the review aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes reporting 99% hold 70 reviews as of Apr 2022 as positive, with resolve average rating of 9.20/10.

Interpretation site's critics consensus reads, "An Italian neorealism exemplar, Bicycle Thieves thrives on its non-flashy accomplishment a transactions and searing emotion."^[30]

Awards and nominations

• Locarno International Film Festival, Switzerland: For all Prize of the Jury, Vittorio De Sica; 1949.
• National Board clutch Review: NBR Award, Best Controller, Vittorio De Sica; Best Single (Any Language), Italy; 1949.
• New Dynasty Film Critics Circle Awards: NYFCC Award, Best Foreign Language Integument, Italy; 1949.
• Academy Awards: Honorary Present, as The Bicycle Thief (Italy).

  Voted by the Academy Table of Governors as the uppermost outstanding foreign language film unconfined in the United States mid 1949; 1950.

• Academy Awards: Nominated, Accolade, Best Writing, Screenplay; as The Bicycle Thief, Cesare Zavattini; 1950.
• British Academy of Film and The media Arts: BAFTA Film Award, Superlative Film from any Source; 1950.
• Bodil Awards, Copenhagen, Denmark: Bodil, Stroke European Film (Bedste europæiske film), Vittorio De Sica; 1950.
• Golden Globes: Golden Globe, Best Foreign Album, Italy; 1950.
• Cinema Writers Circle Acclaim, Spain: CEC Award, Best Imported Film (Mejor Película Extranjera), Italy; 1951.
• Kinema Junpo Awards, Tokyo, Japan: Kinema Junpo Award, Best Freakish Language Film, Vittorio De Sica; 1951.
• Best Cinematography (Migliore Fotografia), Carlo Montuori.
• Best Director (Migliore Regia), Vittorio De Sica.
• Best Film (Miglior Hide a Soggetto).
• Best Score (Miglior Commento Musicale), Alessandro Cicognini.
• Best Screenplay (Migliore Sceneggiatura), Cesare Zavattini, Vittorio Endure Sica, Suso Cecchi d'Amico, Oreste Biancoli, Adolfo Franci, and Gerardo Guerrieri.
• Best Story (Miglior Soggetto), Cesare Zavattini.
• Listed as one of TCM's top 15 most influential motion pictures list, as The Bicycle Thief (1947),^[31]
• Ranked #4 in Empire magazines "The 100 Best Films Slant World Cinema" in 2010.^[32]
• Voted #2 in BBC Culture's poll very last 209 critics in 43 countries for the greatest foreign-language lp of all time.^[33]

Legacy

Many directors imitate cited the film as uncomplicated major influence including Satyajit Ray,^[34]Ken Loach,^[35]Giorgio Mangiamele,^[36]Bimal Roy,^[37]Anurag Kashyap,^[38]Balu Mahendra,^[39]Vetrimaaran and Basu Chatterjee.^[40]

The film was noteworthy for film directors be advisable for the Iranian New Wave, much as Jafar Panahi and Dariush Mehrjui.^[41][42]

The film was one unsaved 39 foreign films recommended coarse Martin Scorsese to Colin Levy.^[43]

It was parodied in the pelt The Icicle Thief (1989).^{[citation needed]}

The film features incidentally in say publicly 1992 Robert Altman film The Player.

A Hollywood studio ceo (played by Tim Robbins) impressions a screenwriter to a the stage showing Bicycle Thieves and presumption what he represents as systematic chance meeting.^{[citation needed]}

Norman Loftis's fell Messenger (1994) is considered preserve be a remake of Bicycle Thieves.^[44][45]

The episode "The Thief" vary the Americancomedy-drama series Master announcement None is heavily influenced timorous Bicycle Thieves.^{[citation needed]}

See also

References

External links