Bicycle Thieves (1948)

Director: Vittorio De Sica

Starring: Lamberto Maggio, raniEnzo Staiola, Lianella Carell

In post-war Italy, a working-class man’s bicycle is stolen, endangering his efforts to find work. He and his son set out to find it.

Please help me understand why ‘Bicycle Thieves’ is on IMDB’s Top 250 list of highest rated movies of all time? Did I miss something here? Not that there’s much to miss since the entire movie revolves around a father and his son looking for his stolen bicycle. That’s it! That’s what this movie is all about.

Antonio Ricci is offered a job posting advertisements on walls. He needs a bicycle, but his is broken, so his wife Maria decides to sell all their sheets so they can buy a new one. All seems to be going well and there’s even the prospect of overtime, so they’re all set for a better life.

Only, his bicycle gets stolen, and without his bicycle he can’t do his job. So, Antonio goes in search of the thief. Tagging along is his young son Bruno. I can’t even say they went on an interesting adventure because there wasn’t anything here that interested me. This isn’t even an uplifting story, because I didn’t approve of Antonio’s attitude. He harassed an old man, hit his son, and became a thief himself. Hardly a role model for a father!

I think maybe my expectations were probably too high, which is why I’m so disappointed in this movie. And by the time the film ends, there is no payoff, no solution, nothing; it just ends! I’m sorry, but why exactly is ‘Bicycle Thieves’ considered a classic? Why is it so highly rated? What is so special about this film that I’m missing?

‘Bicycle Thieves’ received an Oscar nomination for Best Screenplay (whaaa-aa-aa-t!!??). It also won awards for Best Film, Best Director, Best Score, Best Cinematography, and Best Original Story. I’m clearly missing something…!!!

In Italian

Would I watch it again? Nope!