Cesare Zavattini
April 12th, 2004
Bicycle Thief, The (1949) (USA)
This prolific Italian screenwriter (imdb.com lists over 90 credits, most Italian productions) wrote the greatest neorealism film ever made; arguably one of the greatest films of all time. Released in 1948, the movie centers on a man who must find his stolen bicycle after pawning everything the family owns to get it for his job. The storyline: Antonio Ricci, unemployed for over two years, is overjoyed when he's finally given a job hanging posters. In order to do the job he needs a bicycle. He pawns the family linen to get a pawned bicycle back. He goes off to his first day's work, truly happy for the first time in years. When his bicycle is stolen he is in a panic as he and his son frantically searche the streets of Rome. This is a simple, but very powerful film, and the relatioship between a boy and his father is especially touching. The final scene is a true captivating piece of cinema, simplistic yet real. In 1995 his "A Walk in the Clouds" was remade starring Keanu Reeves.
This prolific Italian screenwriter (imdb.com lists over 90 credits, most Italian productions) wrote the greatest neorealism film ever made; arguably one of the greatest films of all time. Released in 1948, the movie centers on a man who must find his stolen bicycle after pawning everything the family owns to get it for his job. The storyline: Antonio Ricci, unemployed for over two years, is overjoyed when he's finally given a job hanging posters. In order to do the job he needs a bicycle. He pawns the family linen to get a pawned bicycle back. He goes off to his first day's work, truly happy for the first time in years. When his bicycle is stolen he is in a panic as he and his son frantically searche the streets of Rome. This is a simple, but very powerful film, and the relatioship between a boy and his father is especially touching. The final scene is a true captivating piece of cinema, simplistic yet real. In 1995 his "A Walk in the Clouds" was remade starring Keanu Reeves.
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