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Lamberto Maggiorani, Lianella Carell, Enzo Staiola, Elena Altieri, Vittorio Antonucci ... see more see more... , Gino Saltamerenda , Nando Bruno , Memmo Carotenuto , Fausto Guerzoni , Michele Sakara , Umberto Spadaro

This landmark Italian neorealist drama became one of the best-known and most widely acclaimed European movies, including a special Academy Award as "most outstanding foreign film" seven years before t... read more read more...hat Oscar category existed. Written primarily by neorealist pioneer Cesare Zavattini and directed by Vittorio DeSica, also one of the movement's main forces, the movie featured all the hallmarks of the neorealist style: a simple story about the lives of ordinary people, outdoor shooting and lighting, non-actors mixed together with actors, and a focus on social problems in the aftermath of World War II. Lamberto Maggiorani plays Antonio, an unemployed man who finds a coveted job that requires a bicycle. When it is stolen on his first day of work, Antonio and his young son Bruno (Enzo Staiola) begin a frantic search, learning valuable lessons along the way. The movie focuses on both the relationship between the father and the son and the larger framework of poverty and unemployment in postwar Italy. As in such other classic films as Shoeshine (1946), Umberto D. (1952), and his late masterpiece The Garden of the Finzi-Continis (1971), DeSica focuses on the ordinary details of ordinary lives as a way to dramatize wider social issues. As a result, The Bicycle Thief works as a sentimental study of a father and son, a historical document, a social statement, and a record of one of the century's most influential film movements. ~ Leo Charney, Rovi

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50 critics

Unrated, 1 hr. 30 min.

Directed by: Vittorio De Sica

Release Date: December 13, 1949

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DVD Release Date: December 8, 1998

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Stats: 2,211 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (2,211)

  • fb1038944442
    February 21, 2012
    fb1038944442
    The Bicycle Thief (I prefer the singular) is one of the assumed classics that feel totally fresh and relevant from the first frame and don't need DVD commentary notes to explain it to a modern audience. It's a simple, perfect story that is gripping all the way through and beaut... read moreiful to look at in every shot.

    In post war Rome, a the patriarch of a poverty stricken family gets a job that requires a bicycle. On the first day on the job, the bike is stolen and Dad and his 8 year old son Bruno try to look for the culprit, which is a needle in the haystack of Rome's mean streets. On their search, they encounter homeless men in a church soup kitchen, a brothel, and a restaurant where the father and son are looked down on by snooty rich folks. That's it.

    The complexity is contained in the father/son relationship, which is loving, but presented with no sentimentality. The father is so obsessed with finding the bike, that he ignores his son, impatiently hits him, and comes dangerously close to losing him numerous times. He learns his lesson and reprioritizes in the end when his son becomes his savior and redeemer.

    The roles are filled by non actors. De Sica gets terrific performances out of all of them, especially the little round faced son. Though considered one of the landmarks of Italian neo-realism, this film does not feel like a gritty documentary. The shots are superbly composed, the film uses dramatic camera moves, including dolly shots, as well as a staged rain storm. The movement of people through the film is seamless and organic, yet almost balletic.

    The film is generous to all its characters, no one is a bad guy, they're all just rying to survive.

    I don't think I could ever get sick of this film. Its qualities have transcended the slightly Marxist intentions of its filmmakers and its setting to become something universal and timeless. The new Criterion collection remaster looks spectacular and nothing less should be screened. Enjoy.
  • hunterjt13
    November 1, 2011
    hunterjt13
    A working class man's bicycle, which is his sole means of transportation to his job, is stolen, and he embarks on a journey throughout Rome to recover it.
    Finally I've found a critically acclaimed Italian film in the neorealist movement that I thoroughly enjoyed. The scenes at t... read morehe beginning that build up the bicycle's importance to Antonio's livelihood are perfect examples of how exposition is done well. I liked how poverty was portrayed as a quiet desperation and how it was obvious that this version of the proletariat weren't lazy assholes but strong, determined citizens. And the slow pan of stacked bedsheets, to which the Riccis' were added, demonstrated how poverty was a systemic problem. As Antonio embarks on recovering his bicycle, these themes are elaborated and developed with the same regard - privileging character and interpersonal conflict over politics.
    I thought that it would have been better if there were an innate aspect about Antonio, either his knowledge of the street or his deductive capabilities, that provided the leads he follows in recovering his bike; rather, all of his near-misses are the result of dumb luck. Part of this film's tragedy is Antonio's fall from grace, and if he had more admirable qualities, then I think it would've enhanced the film's conclusion.
    Overall, I really liked The Bicycle Thief, one of the few films of the Italian neorealist movement that has lived up to its hype.
  • fb733768972
    October 21, 2011
    fb733768972
    This film begins as a heartfelt journey of a family trying to finds jobs to keep food on the table for their family. He finds a job to support his family, but by doing so he must be able to afford a bike for travel. His wife helps by selling household items to buy the bike. Once ... read moreit has been purchased he begins his career as a duty worker around the city. As some poor heartless man decides to steal his bike, he take his son and a couple other men who are willing to journey to find this horrible man. From amazingly written subtle moments, to hilarious comic relief when a scene becomes weary, "Bicycle Thieves" represents classical cinema in it's finest hour! This is easily one of the best father-son films I have ever seen and I am going to remember it forever!
  • bbcfloridabound
    October 20, 2011
    bbcfloridabound
    Another Movie from The Criterion Collection , filmed in 1948, Spine Number 374. A super good film about a family in Italy trying to get by after the war while Italy is rebuilding and jobs are scare. Antonio takes a job as a poster hanger, to each site he must ride his bike and ca... read morerry a step ladder and posters, while hanging a poster his bike is stolen, follow his journey as he tries to recover it. His young son maybe 10 years old in this film is a trip, his actions throughout the movie will make you smile. If your a film festival freak, don't miss this one. 4 stars.
  • fb1216165431
    September 9, 2011
    fb1216165431
    Bicycle Thieves paves the story of an impoverished family and their quest for a stolen bicycle. Much has been said and written, but it is always worth the attention, the affirmation, and the exaggeration: one of world cinema's best.
  • fb619846742
    August 29, 2011
    fb619846742
    A depressing slice of Italian neo-realism, concerning a poverty stricken small town still recovering from the aftermath of WW2, specifically a man (Lamberto Maggiorani) trying to provide for his family after attaining a new job he uses a bicycle for - until that bicycle is stolen... read more and he must find it or lose his job and new-found life. As said, it is a hard film to watch due to the atmosphere of utter dread and depression that is difficult to ignore, and the feeling that nothing is going to improve is always on the horizon no matter how one attempts to look at a potential bright side. It does have some questionable acting (which is to be expected with a movie filled with first-timers - but still...) and there is a scene or two that seems kind of forced into place, but for the most part this is an outstanding, realistic, and simple film about a man trying to support his family. The camera-work gets everything right, the soundtrack hits all the right notes, and the fact that Maggiorani's Ricci is so flawed and on-edge during his entire ordeal is completely understandable and fantastically played by director Vittorio De Sica.
  • cosmo313
    August 27, 2011
    cosmo313
    This film is often cited as one of the quintessential works of the Neorealist movement, but man, even though this is a really top notch film, it's quite a bummer.

    The story concerns a poor unemployed man named Antonio Ricci who finally secures a job, but is told he must have a b... read moreicycle for the job. His wife pawns off some of their sheets so he can use the money to reclaim his bike back from the pawnbroker. On the first day of the new job his bike is stolen while he's working, so Antonio spends the rest of the film desperately running all over Rome tryting to find the thief and reclaim his bike.

    This is a bleak film, and it doesn't paint a very uplifting portrait of post WWII life in Italy, but the portrait it does paint is at least honest and vivid. The fact that this is so beautifully photographed and wonderfully acted is why it is worth watching. As per being a neorealist film, this movie tells life like it is (or at least how it was in the late 1940s), and does so in a very unglamorous way. The actors are all nonactors, giving much more weight and authenticity to the proceedings. These performers do a great job, and you really wanna see Antonio get his bike back so he can resume tryng to make a better life for himself and his family.

    I loved the cinematography here, and even though what is shown is gritty and not the touristy side of Rome, it's hard not to become enthralled by what you're looking at, and everything just has an odd beauty to it that's very memorable.

    This film is "entertaining", but not in a summer blockbuster popcorn sort of way. It's a nice foreign art film, yet not really extremely out there or pretentious. Unlike some, I don't think this is one of the greatest films ever made, but I do highly recommend it.
  • ceWEBrity
    April 18, 2011
    ceWEBrity
    Expectedly bleak, but handsome and personal and a consummate example of subtle sociopolitcal storytelling in the arts. An excellent encapsulation of a sad place and time in history if ever there was one, Bicycle Thieves won't be to everyone's tastes, but its literacy and trust in... read more its audience's knowledge of the capacities of film are what make it a classic.
  • mjgildea
    January 10, 2011
    mjgildea
    If I could sum up how I feel about The Bicycle Thieves in one line, it would either be "Abandon Hope All Ye Who Enter Here" or "Jesus Christ, how do you make it stop?" Spoiler alert or no, DO NOT look for a happy ending or even any fucking hope at all. Watching this movie is like... read more being a human chew toy for an hour and a half. Its so goddamned brutal! I don't always need a happy ending, but I really needed it here. I was reminded of the one and only time I saw Requiem For a Dream while watching The Bicycle Thieves -- I was aware of its power and how great of a movie it is but I don't ever need to see it again. That movie scarred my brain, this one scarred my soul.
  • ajv2688
    October 24, 2010
    ajv2688
    This movie is always show as an example of Italian neo-realism because it is one of the best films of the genre. If you haven't seen this classic movie I highly recommend checking it out.

View All Ladri di Biciclette (The Bicycle Thief) (Bicycle Thieves) Reviews

Critic Reviews

Kenneth Turan
January 7, 2010
Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times

This film manages to appeal to the better angels of our nature in a way that only deepens as we grow older along with the film. Full Review

Bosley Crowther
May 20, 2003
Bosley Crowther, New York Times

Again the Italians have sent us a brilliant and devastating film in Vittorio De Sica's rueful drama of modern city life, The Bicycle Thief.

Kevin Thomas
February 13, 2001
Kevin Thomas, Los Angeles Times

Simplicity is at the heart of The Bicycle Thief, as it is with so many films that endure. Full Review

Joe Baltake
January 1, 2000
Joe Baltake, Sacramento Bee

Deceptively simple and yet profoundly moving, The Bicycle Thief has the kind of power that one rarely finds in movies these days. Full Review

Roger Ebert
January 1, 2000
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

The Bicycle Thief is so well-entrenched as an official masterpiece that it is a little startling to visit it again after many years and realize that it is still alive and has strength and freshness. Full Review

Bob Graham
January 1, 2000
Bob Graham, San Francisco Chronicle

The Bicycle Thief is one of those wonderful titles whose power does not sink in until the film is over. Full Review

J. Hoberman
January 1, 2000
J. Hoberman, Village Voice

Scarcely a story found in the street, The Bicycle Thief is an allegory at once timeless and topical. Full Review

Josh Larsen
April 1, 2012
Josh Larsen, LarsenOnFilm

...captures, in elemental strokes, the crushing of the human spirit at the hands of poverty, indifference and despair. Full Review

Cole Smithey
March 10, 2012
Cole Smithey, ColeSmithey.com

Vittorio De Sica advanced Italian neorealist cinema in 1948 with a modest story about a family man trying to get back the bicycle that was stolen from him. Full Review

Emanuel Levy
January 22, 2011
Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com

One of the highlights of Italian Neo-realism and a landmark of humanist cinema, Vittorio de Sica's film won the best foreign language Oscar Full Review

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