Bicycle Thief

De Sicas' "Bicycle Thief" is a really great movie in my opinion. It was made in 1949, and is about Ricci and his family in post war Italy, which was suffering from Depression at the time. When Ricci gets a job which relies on a bicycle, he is overwhelmed with relief and dreams of finally being able to get his family back on its feet. He and his wife sell some of their belongings so Ricci is able to afford to get his bicycle out of the repair shop. Life seems like it is about to change, but Ricci’s only hope of a new and improved future for his family is taken from him - by a bicycle thief. We then see Ricci spiral downward on his day long journey with his young son to find the bike, until he resorts to trying to steal someone else's bike, lowering himself down to the level of the man who stole away his last chance.

I thought that this movie was really good. It doesn't suprise me that it is constantly voted one of the greatest movies of all time. The themes and desparation of the movie are things that most people (except for the wealthy) can relate to, as most of us have been desperate for something at some stage in our lives. It is very tragic watching Ricci and his boy on their seemingly hopeless quest, and you do feel happier at the points in the film Ricci and his son are happy, like in the restaurant scene, but ultimately it is a tradgedy. I was very interested to hear that the actors in the film weren't really actors at all, they were people in the situations that their characters were in for the film.

I think that this is a masterpiece of cinema.