Just saw The Bicycle Thief and it certainly did not come close to being The Best Film of all time. I do understand the historical context of the film but where is the depth of character? What do we finally understand about ourselves and the world? Is the message of the film that men will sacrifice their values for survival? Not such a deep revelation in my eyes. Are we to understand that love continues despite the weakness of character? Again, no great shakes there! Yes, life is tough and in the real world things do not turn out OK and people get screwed with no recourse especially in the aftermath of war. Anyone surprised?I left this film saddened by the plight of the man and his son, but I didn't feel that this was enough to justify all of the accolades that this film has received. Nice film--nice photography--interesting historically--but way overrated.
Review of Bicycle Thieves
