Bicycle Theives
THE BICYCLE THIEF / BICYCLE THIEVES
Ladri di Biciclette
A Vittorio De Sica production for PDS (Stabilimenti Safa) / 1948 (U.S. release by Moyer-Burstyn, Inc.: 1949)
SYNOPSIS
The main protagonist Antonio having been unemployed for two years, is offered a job applying posters around the city of Rome. A job where owning a bike is mandatory. Shortly after starting his new job, Antonio’s bike is stolen. Antonio and his son Bruno, with the assistance of a some acquaintances, spend the entire weekend searching all of Rome for the stolen bike.
CREDITS
DIRECTOR: Vittorio De Sica; PRODUCER: Umberto Scarpelli; SCREENWRITERS: Oreste Biancoli, Suso Cecchi D’Amico, Vittorio De Sica, Adolfl Franci, Gherardo Gherardi, Gerardo Guerrieri, and Cesare Zavattini; CINEMATOGRAPHER: Carlo Montuori; EDITOR: Eraldo Da Roma; ART DIRECTOR: Antonio Traverso; MUSIC: Alessandro Cicognini
BASED IN THE NOVEL by Luigi Bartolini (Running Time: 90 minutes.)
CAST
Lamberto Maggiorani (Antonio Ricci); Enzo Staiola (Bruno Ricci); Lianella Carell (Maria Ricci); Elena Altieri (the Medium); Gino Satamerenda (Baiocco); Vittorio Antonucci (the Thief).
THE FILM
Non professional actors were cast for the film. The main character, Antonio Ricci played by Lamberto Maggiorani, was himself a factory worker. The main actors in the film are ideal. Their faces are so expressive. They seem to be playing themselves. The background players’ faces are also always incredibly expressive, which adds to the illusion of reality. The use of actual Italian citizen’s in The Bicycle Thief, ads to the authenticity of the film. Because the characters that appeared onscreen were locals, they were speaking in their regional dialect which was typical of a neorealist film. Neorealist films were shot nearly exclusively on location, mostly in poor neighborhoods. The Bicycle Thief was shot completely on location in Rome. The film was an attempt to return to regional naturalism by De Sica. The Bicycle
Ladri di Biciclette
A Vittorio De Sica production for PDS (Stabilimenti Safa) / 1948 (U.S. release by Moyer-Burstyn, Inc.: 1949)
SYNOPSIS
The main protagonist Antonio having been unemployed for two years, is offered a job applying posters around the city of Rome. A job where owning a bike is mandatory. Shortly after starting his new job, Antonio’s bike is stolen. Antonio and his son Bruno, with the assistance of a some acquaintances, spend the entire weekend searching all of Rome for the stolen bike.
CREDITS
DIRECTOR: Vittorio De Sica; PRODUCER: Umberto Scarpelli; SCREENWRITERS: Oreste Biancoli, Suso Cecchi D’Amico, Vittorio De Sica, Adolfl Franci, Gherardo Gherardi, Gerardo Guerrieri, and Cesare Zavattini; CINEMATOGRAPHER: Carlo Montuori; EDITOR: Eraldo Da Roma; ART DIRECTOR: Antonio Traverso; MUSIC: Alessandro Cicognini
BASED IN THE NOVEL by Luigi Bartolini (Running Time: 90 minutes.)
CAST
Lamberto Maggiorani (Antonio Ricci); Enzo Staiola (Bruno Ricci); Lianella Carell (Maria Ricci); Elena Altieri (the Medium); Gino Satamerenda (Baiocco); Vittorio Antonucci (the Thief).
THE FILM
Non professional actors were cast for the film. The main character, Antonio Ricci played by Lamberto Maggiorani, was himself a factory worker. The main actors in the film are ideal. Their faces are so expressive. They seem to be playing themselves. The background players’ faces are also always incredibly expressive, which adds to the illusion of reality. The use of actual Italian citizen’s in The Bicycle Thief, ads to the authenticity of the film. Because the characters that appeared onscreen were locals, they were speaking in their regional dialect which was typical of a neorealist film. Neorealist films were shot nearly exclusively on location, mostly in poor neighborhoods. The Bicycle Thief was shot completely on location in Rome. The film was an attempt to return to regional naturalism by De Sica. The Bicycle