The Bicycle Thief

A 1949 Italian film depicting life in the economically depressed, post-war suburbs of Rome. Antonio Ricci finally gets a call for a job from the government employment agency and a spark of hope enters his life. The only requirement is that he have a bicycle for transportation. I suppose the only thing worse than a hopeless situation is one in which hope peeks its face in, and then runs away. We are taken through a series of encounters with Ricci and his son as they pursue the man who has stolen his bicycle, with the bike eventually becoming an emblem for a chance at a "normal" life. As the two take the day to journey throughout the city, we get an excellent look at a man and his family in desperate times, and a definite commentary on what is actually important in life.
4 stars (out of 5)