Bicycle Theives - Vittorio De Sica (1948)

This movie has been referred to in a lot of stuff I have been reading - it's been an influence on may other films and directors. Luckily, it was playing at 'Cinematheque' - so I was fortunate to see it on the big screen.

This is a simple story - a man is looking for work and gets a job, but needs a bicycle. He had to pawn his so doesn't have one. His wife helps him out by selling some sheets she has so he can get his bike back. He does, gets the job and life is good. Except the bike gets stolen. So the movie is about the quest to get the bike back. I hear you...boring!! Not at all.

There are all these (kind of) subtle sub-plots going on - the man's relationship with his son, the class differences in Italy and poverty, the morality of stealing, and I am sure a bunch of things that I totally missed. The story is told simply without a lot of dialogue. The director lets the actors, their expressions and their interplay tell the story - which is what makes it compelling and riveting.

The last 5 to 10 minutes of the film has very little dialogue. But is probably one of the most heartbreaking scenes I have seen on film yet.

I can see why so many directors were influenced by this. It is a classic model for how stories should be told on film.

One word to describe 'Bicycle Thieves': heartbreaking.