Bicycle Thieves (1948) -

Vittorio De Sica’s (1948) is a foundational masterpiece of Italian Neorealism . Set in the desperate economic landscape of post-World War II Rome, it tells the deceptively simple story of Antonio Ricci, an unemployed man who finally lands a job as a billposter.

The job requires a bicycle, which Antonio’s wife retrieves from a pawn shop by trading their family bedsheets. On his very first day, the bike is stolen. The rest of the film follows Antonio and his young son, Bruno, as they embark on an increasingly frantic and heartbreaking search through the streets of Rome to find the thief and recover their only means of survival. Core Themes & Style I was all wrong about Bicycle Thieves - BFI Bicycle Thieves (1948)