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Ladri Di Biciclette
Ladri Di Biciclette
Ladri Di Biciclette
12/9/14
the war. The actions of Ricci and his wife are brought about by
desperation to survive in post-war Italy, and to care for their son. At
every turn, it seems as if everyone Ricci meets is against him, and no
one has any sympathy toward him, his family, or their desolate
condition. The lack of sets and professional actors, and the focus on
turning ordinary life into a realistic plot allowed de Sica to create a film
on a level of realism that had never been done before (Ratner, Italian
Neo-realism).
When it was released in Italy, many critics met the film with
disapproval and spite, claiming that it portrayed Italians in too negative
a light. Despite this, the movie has won many important honors in its
lifetime, including and Academy Honorary Award. It was once ranked
as the best film ever created by Sight & Sound, and is on the Vaticans
Best Films List for its display of humanistic values. De Sicas extreme
use
of
realism
has
created
masterwork
that
demonstrates
your son, and all of a sudden it is clear that Bruno will probably not be
able to escape poverty, just as his father could not (Ladri di Biciclette).
The repetition of the musical theme reinforces this idea: like the wheels
of a bicycle, Italian life goes in a circle, and the reality is that there is
no escape. The music then, does not only serve to display a mood to
the audience, but is itself part of the theme that desperation and
poverty beget more desperation and poverty.
Conclusion
The musical and literary themes presented by de Sica and
Cicognini in Ladri di Biciclette portray a sad realism in post-war Italy.
Much of the country was in ruins, and that included the economy and
the well-being of the people. By using ideas that are quintessentially
Italian, Cicognini is able to hammer home a brilliant message to the
people of his country and comment on the poor social conditions
without making the statement obvious or trite. The film exemplifies
Italian Neorealism in every way, and is an excellent representation of
the problems in contemporary Italian society.
Bibliography
Bicycle
Thieves.
IMBd:
2014.
Accessed
<http://www.imdb.com /title/tt0040522/>
on:
12/9/14.
Web.