Product Information
Set in post-war Italy. A working class Italian has his only form of transport stolen. He and his son begin a desperate search for his missing bicycle.Product Identifiers
EAN5027035005812
eBay Product ID (ePID)77543738
Product Key Features
ActorGino Salamerenda, Lamberto Maggiorani, Lianella Carell, Enzo Staiola
Film/TV TitleBicycle Thieves
DirectorVittorio De Sica
LanguageItalian
Subtitle LanguageEnglish
Run Time87 Mins
Release Year2010
FormatDVD
FeaturesBlack & White, Feature length audio commentary with Italian cinema expert Robert Gordon\'Timeless Cinema: A documentary On Vittorio De Sica'\Trailer, With Subtitles
GenreDrama, General
Additional Product Features
Number of Discs1
CertificateU
Country/Region of ManufactureItaly
Additional InformationThe recipient of international acclaim, Vittorio de Sica's Italian Neorealist masterwork, THE BICYCLE THIEF, is a treasure of world cinema. After nearly two years of unemployment, Antonio (Lamberto Maggiorani) finally finds work posting bills. But he needs a bicycle to do the job. Unfortunately, he was forced to pawn his own bicycle long ago. In a humbling, tragic scene, Antonio exchanges his family's linen for his bicycle. But when the bike is stolen on his first day of work, he must comb the streets of Rome in search of the bike: his family's only means to survival. After three days of hunting, Antonio and his son, Bruno (Enzo Staiola), find the thief (Vittorio Antonucci)--but without witnesses or evidence, the police are unwilling to help Antonio. Hopeless, Antonio and Bruno wander aimlessly through Rome, landing outside of a soccer stadium where hundreds of bicycles are parked. His will broken, Antonio attempts to steal a bike but is caught in the act. Thematically, Vittoria de Sica's THE BICYCLE THIEF details an everyman story of loss of innocence in the face of a destitute society, while the film's poignant acting and directing creates an individual and heart-wrenching tale of one man's struggle to feed his family. The film is often considered one of the masterpieces of 20th century cinema.
ReviewsFilm4.com - Profoundly moving allegory that balances the grimness of its characters' plight against some of the period's most elegant visual poetry., Empire - One of the greatest cinematic experiences ever., Total Film - The definition of Italian neo-realism., 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 Guardian - BICYCLE THIEVES is a brilliant, tactlessly real work of art.
Sound sourceDolby Digital
Movie/TV TitleBicycle Thieves