Why Bicycle Thieves is contemporary relevant?

Bicycle Thieves (1948)

Directed by: Vittorio De Sica

As I remained astonished and was reading about Satyajit Ray's Pather Panchali, then was the first time I got acquainted with Bicycle Thieves. Learning how this movie has inspired the greatest filmmaker, has forced me to watch it. Well, with no denial I was left daunted watching it. The film is filled with blood-boiling emotions, which won't let go even after the movie.

Bicycle Thieves (1948) is an Italian film, also called "Ladri di biciclette" directed by Vittorio De Sica. It's a story about a struggling unemployed Italian family man Antonio Ricci, whose bicycle gets stolen on the first day of his job.  Though the title gives away the plot of the movie, it's more of a story about the disservices in society to the common man. The sweet spot of this movie is Bruno Ricci (s/o Antonio Ricci) and his relationship with his father. The kids in this movie are distinctive, more individual. Each self tells us a significant lifestyle. In the first introduction to Bruno with his father, we see him cleaning his father's bicycle and getting ready for work. Yes, the 8-9 years old Bruno has a day job. We witness Bruno's actions resembling his father, just as the phrase goes "Like father, like son". By this point, De Sica had made undisputedly clear characters that we understand the significant gravity of survival. The film paints a plethora of emotions that sink within itself.

Antonio and Bruno getting ready for work 

At the beginning 15 minutes of the film, we see Antonio grabbing Maria Ricci (w/o Antonio Ricci) from a godly women's cabin who claims that she sees the future, Antonio comments Maria "How can a woman with two children and a head on her shoulders, listen to all this stupid nonsense? I don't get it” but tables turn around eventually. De Sica carries a religious subtext track throughout the movie, which brings out a question of morality in God. 

Coming back to Bruno's relationship with his father, it felt very conscious. We see Bruno always looking to stick around with his father and help him in every possible way. It's delightful to see how Bruno looks up to his father but the warmest part is how good as a team they are. Both of them work as a team, although they are more of best buddies. After the church where Antonio slaps Bruno out of a helpless reflex, we witness an adorable fight between them and an emotional connection with the characters. Then comes one of my favorite parts of the movie is when Antonio gives up hope and takes Bruno to a restaurant for a happy meal. Some of the significant points of this scene made me strongly believe that the film has way more contemporary relevance and it's not subtle about it. Some nuances like how their table had no tablecloth, wine served in different bottles, and the glances Bruno shares with the neighboring table rich kid had addressed classism of that era loudly. But with no delay, Antonio tells his son "To eat like them, you have to earn a million lira a month" and continues to give figures of how their life would be if he had the bicycle. He gathers up his hope back but to justify his fictitious hope he goes back to the godly women who claim to see the future, seeking some hopeful answers.

Bruno having wine at the restaurant 

However, she gives a fair probability rather than hope.  It gets to seem like Antonio's luck turned in, he finds the thief. Antonio run's behind him and ends up in the thief's ghetto. As he accuses him of the bicycle robbery, the whole colony groups up against him. Bruno runs for help and calls the police. He investigates the fugitive's house and finds nothing. Looking at how justice gets witty with the underprivileged seemed frustrating. In any which way, Antonio was suffocating in the race of survival. In the end, everything seems to be unfair and impossible for justice. Antonio hits saturation, his actions henceforth are defined by his story. We see a weakened father becoming prey to the pathetic society, We see him become an inefficient "Bicycle Thief". After all, we are in the race of survival. Bruno gets heartbroken seeing his most admired man, pled guilty of a bicycle robbery. Antonio walks helplessly into the crowd.

Antonio after losing his bicycle

De Sica sends us back home with a thought-provoking emotion that craves change. I couldn't sit still. I felt this movie was much of a "new age cinema" rather than a 1948 drama. This story addressed every underprivileged common man, who ends up turning into a revolt or a criminal. No rebel without a cause. Well, keeping apart the strong character arcs, the movie was still successful in empathizing with me. I do believe, it has something to do with the still existential struggles of the underprivileged in society. This movie helped me have a realistic look towards this issue which changed my entire perception. I'm inspired to leave you with a question, do you think we could see a world without the word "underprivileged"?