Bicycle Thieves free essay sample

Thieves is a simple story set amidst a post-war Rome. It is a neorealist film characterized by setting the story amongst the poor and working class. The film surrounds the difficult economical and moral conditions of post WWII Italy, reflecting the conditions of everyday life: Poverty and desperation, with the implicit message that in a better society, wealth would be more evenly distributed. The plot is simple, surrounding a man, his son and a bicycle. The film tells a story of Antonio Ricci, an unemployed worker who finally gets a job to paste advertisements in the city of Rome. To keep this job, he must have a bicycle, in which his wife, Maria had to pawn their bed linens to get money to redeem their bicycle. However, early in the film, the bicycle is stolen while Antonio is at work and so the remainder of the film is spend on showing he and his son, Bruno attempting to search for it. We will write a custom essay sample on Bicycle Thieves or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Mise-en scene will be use to discuss the ideological function of the film was well as its social function within the film. Set in post-war Italy, where unemployment is relatively prevalent (25% unemployment rate), people are desperate to have a job. This can be seen in the opening scene where a group of people had gathered outside an employment office, waiting every morning for news, with hope that they will hear their names being called and get a job. Antonio was one of those who were called, but the job requires a bicycle in which Antonio had pawned it earlier. As he hesitates and ponders on how to redeem back his bicycle, the others around him are eager to take over his job, but due to different skills (some are bricklayers), they were not able to do so. When Maria pawned their bed linens and redeems back the bicycle, the scene moves to show towering piles of pawned laundry, this indicates that the Ricci family is not alone in its economic plight. The techniques employed in the mise-en scene meet the most exacting specification of Italian neorealism. The film was shot on the streets with real passerby entrenched in it. Not one scene was shot in a studio. This further creates authenticity of the film and shows the hardship that the people face during that period. As for the actors, none had the slightest experience in theater or film. Antonio (Lamberto Maggiorani) was a factory worker in Breda factory, Bruno (Enzo Staiola) was found hanging around in the street and Maria (Lianella Carell) was a journalist. Despite his age, Bruno already plays a mature role in the family, as can be seen in him working. Nonetheless, dressed like his father in overalls, he remains at his fathers side or in his shadow. We first see him proudly cleaning the newly reclaimed bicycle, and he gently rebukes his father for not complaining to the pawnshop workers about a dent for which they are responsible. Brunos self-assured walk and obedience to his fathers authority are nothing compared to the love for his father we see in his eyes. In addition, Bruno serves as his fathers moral compass: What are you, my conscience? Antonio asks, annoyed, moments after striking him. As his fathers conscience, but also as his son and friend, Bruno suffers public humiliation with him. One distinct prop that the movie uses is the bicycle. the brand name of Antonios bicycle, Fides, which means faith or, even more ironically for this story, reliance. (Nothing could be less reliable than that red bicycle. ) This can be seen in many scenes. For example, right at the beginning of the movie, the bicycle is introduced when the government officer emphasized on having a bicycle to do the job (the emphasis placed also shows the relative importance of the bicycle). In other scenes, Antonio and his wife pawning their bed linen to redeem the bicycle, Bruno giving the bicycle a good clean (again, the emphasis of the importance of the bicycle in how they value it through act of cleaning-taking good care of it), Antonio riding the bicycle to accompany his wife, Maria to return thanks to the seer, send his son then reporting for work (the many uses of the bicycle), etc. Additionally, from the point the bicycle is stolen, the movie is dedicated to following the whole process of looking for at the workshop, following the old man around, catching the thief but without evidence to the ending of Antonio attempting to steal it. In a way, this also shows that the bicycle is central to the story. It is very important to the family as it represents their livelihood and their chance of a better life. Additionally, in one scene, Antonio is seen accompany his wife, Maria on the bicycle to return thanks to the seer. In this scene, the director is teasing us as we expect the bicycle to disappear when Antonio, out of curiosity, went to look what Maria is doing in the house. The movie attempts to contrast the rich and the poor people in post-war Italy at that point of time. This is reflected in a few scenes. Firstly, when Antonio went on his first day at work, as a poster-hanger, posting cinema advertisement, which is a large portrait of Rita Hayworth. This provides an ironic contrast between the world of Hollywood (representing the rich) and the everyday lives of the poor-Antonio and his family (neorealism). Secondly, in the scene where Antonio finally give up the search for his bicycle: â€Å"You live and suffer†, he said. And tells Bruno, â€Å"To hell with it! You want a pizza? † In a scene of great cheer, they eat in a restaurant and Bruno is even allowed to drink a little wine. The scene also shows a contrast in the food that Bruno and the rich family’s son eats. As Bruno looks hopefully at a family eating platters of pasta, he is brought back to reality as he is told by his father, â€Å"To eat like that, you need a million lira a month at least. At that period of time, where the Catholic Church is virtually inseparable from all aspects of society, people turn to seers for their salvation. Even though the Riccis seem to be believers—they have a crucifix in their bedroom—they do not attend church on Sunday morning, when things are at their worst. Moreover, Bruno mocks the older boys in the mission church when he kneels and makes the sign of the cr oss. There is also an attempt to show a belief in the supernatural powers of the seer when one is at means end. This can be seen when Maria wanted to pay for the seer’s prediction of Antonio getting a job, in which Antonio attempt to stop her, showing that he does not believe in them. Yet, later on when Antonio was at wits end in the futile search of his bicycle, he turned to the seer for a glimpse of hope and help. The film also reflects the realist world as it mirrors the happenings of our real world. For example, after the theft of Antonio’s bicycle, a report was made to the police, but the police did not bother to take time out of their busy days to find stolen bicycles. Additionally, serendipity doesn’t arrive on the scene to right all the wrongs. This is seen when Antonio and his friends search the bicycle workshop they saw a worker repainting the bicycle frame and suspect that to be the stolen bicycle, but it turns out not so and he had to carry on with the search. Also, when Antonio manages to find the thief, he was unable to neither get any confession from him nor prove that he is the thief as the thief’s neighbours and friends acted as his alibi. There are also no convenient deus ex machina (A person or event that provides a sudden and unexpected solution to a difficulty) as the policeman who handled the matter failed to do anything but instead persuade Antonio to think wisely about bringing the ‘thief’ to charge. On the other end of the social scale, the young man who stole Antonios bicycle is protected by his mother, the Mafia, the prostitutes in the brothel, and the men on the street. As institutions and groups of people fail to help, only individuals offer hope: in the opening scene, an unidentified good Samaritan tells Antonio his name has been called; at the end, the bicycle owner lets him go. (Ironically, at that moment, a man tells Antonio to thank God for being released. ) The labor union is also powerless, simply blaming the government for societys ills, funding a theater group but not helping Antonio to replace his bicycle. The rich are smug and secure in their wealth (e. g. , the society ladies and lawyer who volunteer their services to the church mission). French critic and theorist Andre Bazin emphasizes the Marxist implications in the story: in the world where this workman lives, the poor must steal from each other in order to survive. But perhaps the film also suggests that in the end, only bonds between individuals matter. That is, we might say that although Antonio is driven to theft, caught, and publicly shamed before he is released, the familys bond is even stronger at the end than it was at the beginning. Family, love, and brotherhood transcend the immediate predicament. Bicycle Thieves free essay sample The Bicycle Thieves is a simple story set amidst a post-war Rome. It is a neorealist film characterized by setting the story amongst the poor and working class. The film surrounds the difficult economical and moral conditions of post WWII Italy, reflecting the conditions of everyday life: Poverty and desperation, with the implicit message that in a better society, wealth would be more evenly distributed. The plot is simple, surrounding a man, his son and a bicycle. The film tells a story of Antonio Ricci, an unemployed worker who finally gets a job to paste advertisements in the city of Rome. To keep this job, he must have a bicycle, in which his wife, Maria had to pawn their bed linens to get money to redeem their bicycle. However, early in the film, the bicycle is stolen while Antonio is at work and so the remainder of the film is spend on showing he and his son, Bruno attempting to search for it. We will write a custom essay sample on Bicycle Thieves or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Mise-en scene will be use to discuss the ideological function of the film was well as its social function within the film. Set in post-war Italy, where unemployment is relatively prevalent (25% unemployment rate), people are desperate to have a job. This can be seen in the opening scene where a group of people had gathered outside an employment office, waiting every morning for news, with hope that they will hear their names being called and get a job. Antonio was one of those who were called, but the job requires a bicycle in which Antonio had pawned it earlier. As he hesitates and ponders on how to redeem back his bicycle, the others around him are eager to take over his job, but due to different skills (some are bricklayers), they were not able to do so. When Maria pawned their bed linens and redeems back the bicycle, the scene moves to show towering piles of pawned laundry, this indicates that the Ricci family is not alone in its economic plight. The techniques employed in the mise-en scene meet the most exacting specification of Italian neorealism. The film was shot on the streets with real passerby entrenched in it. Not one scene was shot in a studio. This further creates authenticity of the film and shows the hardship that the people face during that period. As for the actors, none had the slightest experience in theater or film. Antonio (Lamberto Maggiorani) was a factory worker in Breda factory, Bruno (Enzo Staiola) was found hanging around in the street and Maria (Lianella Carell) was a journalist. Despite his age, Bruno already plays a mature role in the family, as can be seen in him working. Nonetheless, dressed like his father in overalls, he remains at his fathers side or in his shadow. We first see him proudly cleaning the newly reclaimed bicycle, and he gently rebukes his father for not complaining to the pawnshop workers about a dent for which they are responsible. Brunos self-assured walk and obedience to his fathers authority are nothing compared to the love for his father we see in his eyes. In addition, Bruno serves as his fathers moral compass: What are you, my conscience? Antonio asks, annoyed, moments after striking him. As his fathers conscience, but also as his son and friend, Bruno suffers public humiliation with him. One distinct prop that the movie uses is the bicycle. the brand name of Antonios bicycle, Fides, which means faith or, even more ironically for this story, reliance. (Nothing could be less reliable than that red bicycle. ) This can be seen in many scenes. For example, right at the beginning of the movie, the bicycle is introduced when the government officer emphasized on having a bicycle to do the job (the emphasis placed also shows the relative importance of the bicycle). In other scenes, Antonio and his wife pawning their bed linen to redeem the bicycle, Bruno giving the bicycle a good clean (again, the emphasis of the importance of the bicycle in how they value it through act of cleaning-taking good care of it), Antonio riding the bicycle to accompany his wife, Maria to return thanks to the seer, send his son then reporting for work (the many uses of the bicycle), etc. Additionally, from the point the bicycle is stolen, the movie is dedicated to following the whole process of looking for at the workshop, following the old man around, catching the thief but without evidence to the ending of Antonio attempting to steal it. In a way, this also shows that the bicycle is central to the story. It is very important to the family as it represents their livelihood and their chance of a better life. Additionally, in one scene, Antonio is seen accompany his wife, Maria on the bicycle to return thanks to the seer. In this scene, the director is teasing us as we expect the bicycle to disappear when Antonio, out of curiosity, went to look what Maria is doing in the house. The movie attempts to contrast the rich and the poor people in post-war Italy at that point of time. This is reflected in a few scenes. Firstly, when Antonio went on his first day at work, as a poster-hanger, posting cinema advertisement, which is a large portrait of Rita Hayworth. This provides an ironic contrast between the world of Hollywood (representing the rich) and the everyday lives of the poor-Antonio and his family (neorealism). Secondly, in the scene where Antonio finally give up the search for his bicycle: â€Å"You live and suffer†, he said. And tells Bruno, â€Å"To hell with it! You want a pizza? † In a scene of great cheer, they eat in a restaurant and Bruno is even allowed to drink a little wine. The scene also shows a contrast in the food that Bruno and the rich family’s son eats. As Bruno looks hopefully at a family eating platters of pasta, he is brought back to reality as he is told by his father, â€Å"To eat like that, you need a million lira a month at least. At that period of time, where the Catholic Church is virtually inseparable from all aspects of society, people turn to seers for their salvation. Even though the Riccis seem to be believers—they have a crucifix in their bedroom—they do not attend church on Sunday morning, when things are at their worst. Moreover, Bruno mocks the older boys in the mission church when he kneels and makes the sign of the cr oss. There is also an attempt to show a belief in the supernatural powers of the seer when one is at means end. This can be seen when Maria wanted to pay for the seer’s prediction of Antonio getting a job, in which Antonio attempt to stop her, showing that he does not believe in them. Yet, later on when Antonio was at wits end in the futile search of his bicycle, he turned to the seer for a glimpse of hope and help. The film also reflects the realist world as it mirrors the happenings of our real world. For example, after the theft of Antonio’s bicycle, a report was made to the police, but the police did not bother to take time out of their busy days to find stolen bicycles. Additionally, serendipity doesn’t arrive on the scene to right all the wrongs. This is seen when Antonio and his friends search the bicycle workshop they saw a worker repainting the bicycle frame and suspect that to be the stolen bicycle, but it turns out not so and he had to carry on with the search. Also, when Antonio manages to find the thief, he was unable to neither get any confession from him nor prove that he is the thief as the thief’s neighbours and friends acted as his alibi. There are also no convenient deus ex machina (A person or event that provides a sudden and unexpected solution to a difficulty) as the policeman who handled the matter failed to do anything but instead persuade Antonio to think wisely about bringing the ‘thief’ to charge. On the other end of the social scale, the young man who stole Antonios bicycle is protected by his mother, the Mafia, the prostitutes in the brothel, and the men on the street. As institutions and groups of people fail to help, only individuals offer hope: in the opening scene, an unidentified good Samaritan tells Antonio his name has been called; at the end, the bicycle owner lets him go. (Ironically, at that moment, a man tells Antonio to thank God for being released. ) The labor union is also powerless, simply blaming the government for societys ills, funding a theater group but not helping Antonio to replace his bicycle. The rich are smug and secure in their wealth (e. g. , the society ladies and lawyer who volunteer their services to the church mission). French critic and theorist Andre Bazin emphasizes the Marxist implications in the story: in the world where this workman lives, the poor must steal from each other in order to survive. But perhaps the film also suggests that in the end, only bonds between individuals matter. That is, we might say that although Antonio is driven to theft, caught, and publicly shamed before he is released, the familys bond is even stronger at the end than it was at the beginning. Family, love, and brotherhood transcend the immediate predicament.