I wish I was a brilliant film critic so that I could write something monumental to this monumental film. It is absolutely one of the best films ever made. Perhaps the best film ever made. Thank God for TCM and Robert Osbourn. Together they have brought obscure masterpieces right into our living rooms so that we can discover the global genius that is film making around the world.
The Bicycle Thief is about desperation in post WWII Italy. After a man wins the job lottery putting up posters of Rita Hayworth around Rome, on his first day at work his only essential tool of trade, his bicycle, is stolen. What ensues to the end of the movie is a desperate, tension filled, search for the thief who stole it, and ultimately the recovery of his bicycle. He is accompanied on his search by his 7 year old son. The two actors who play these roles are not professional actors and yet they turn in performances of the century.
The plot points, direction, writing, and cinematography, of this masterpiece are without equal. The portrayal of the misery and desperation of those who survived WWII leaves a pit in your stomach. Most profound is the relationship between the father and son and their journey together to find his stolen bicycle so that he can make money and feed his family again.
This is a movie without a climax. And that's a big part of what makes it great. The ending is something you could never imagine, and will never forget once you've experienced it. I will only say one more thing about it's conclusion. There are some things more heartbreaking than the tragic loss of life. In this movie, that "something more heartbreaking than the tragic loss of life", is the tragedy of continuing to live after you've lost everything. This is the saddest film I have ever seen and that includes Old Yeller and Where the Red Fern Grows. But it is a magnificent film and should be seen by everyone. It has left a mark on me that will never go away. And in every respect, it very well could be one of the greatest film ever made.
The Bicycle Thief is about desperation in post WWII Italy. After a man wins the job lottery putting up posters of Rita Hayworth around Rome, on his first day at work his only essential tool of trade, his bicycle, is stolen. What ensues to the end of the movie is a desperate, tension filled, search for the thief who stole it, and ultimately the recovery of his bicycle. He is accompanied on his search by his 7 year old son. The two actors who play these roles are not professional actors and yet they turn in performances of the century.
The plot points, direction, writing, and cinematography, of this masterpiece are without equal. The portrayal of the misery and desperation of those who survived WWII leaves a pit in your stomach. Most profound is the relationship between the father and son and their journey together to find his stolen bicycle so that he can make money and feed his family again.
This is a movie without a climax. And that's a big part of what makes it great. The ending is something you could never imagine, and will never forget once you've experienced it. I will only say one more thing about it's conclusion. There are some things more heartbreaking than the tragic loss of life. In this movie, that "something more heartbreaking than the tragic loss of life", is the tragedy of continuing to live after you've lost everything. This is the saddest film I have ever seen and that includes Old Yeller and Where the Red Fern Grows. But it is a magnificent film and should be seen by everyone. It has left a mark on me that will never go away. And in every respect, it very well could be one of the greatest film ever made.