Comparing Shift In Bicycle Thieves And Robert Bresson

Bicycle Thieves (1948) and Pickpocket (1959) are two films revolve around the morality of theft. Both director Vittorio De Sica’s Bicycle Thieves and Robert Bresson’s Pickpocket tell tell a similar story, and wonderfully use perspective and camera movements to tell them. Bicycle Thieves follows Antonio Ricci (Lamberto Maggiorani) as he struggles to provide for his wife Maria (Lianella Carell) and his son Bruno (Enzo Staiola). Antonio gets a job, but needs a bicycle in order to fulfill his employment responsibilities. Maria pawns her beautiful bed sheets in order to purchase a bicycle. Antonio’s bike gets stolen on his first day of work. The police do not offer Antonio much help, but tell him that he should check at the Piazza Vittorio market. Antonio and Bruno find the thief, but he gets away. Antonio goes to a sneer, who tells him that he will find the bike that day, or not at all. After failed attempts at getting the bike back, Antonio and Bruno see rows of bicycles outside
Michel beings the film stealing money at a racetrack. When he leaves, an inspector (Jean Pelegri) stops Michel, but he is released because there is not enough evidence. Michel ends up joining a small group of other pickpockets and learning how to get better at the craft. Michel visits his mother and meets Jeanne (Marika Green) who tells him to visit his mother more often. The police later conduct a ruse to search Michel’s apartment for the stolen money, but they are unsuccessful. Michel’s mother dies and he goes to her funeral with Jeanne. The inspector tells Michel that his mother had money stolen from her, but she assumed that it was her son. Michel flees the country, but eventually returns. When he returns, Michel discovers that Jeanne has a child. Michel begins to support her by getting an honest job, but returns to his old ways. In the end, an officer catches Michel pickpocketing and arrests