Bicycle Thieves

Italian master Vittorio De Sica's Bicycle Thieves is a harrowing portrait of loss and deprivation in post-war Rome, reflecting a stark era of desperation and survival. It is a time where owning a bicycle can mean the difference between having a job and providing for one's family or forever going hungry. De Sica combined with long-time collaborator, writer Cesare Zavattini (Miracle in Milan, Umberto D), to produce a potent mix of real life detail, detective story and poetic melodrama as dedicated father Antonio Ricci (Lamberto Maggiorani) and his devoted son Bruno (Enzo Staiola) roam the streets of the capital in search of a stolen bicycle which signifies hope, optimism and will surely deliver them from the abject poverty they currently face. Vividly shot on location in the streets of Rome using non-professional actors, bringing great prominence to the Italian neorealist film movement, Bicycle Thieves was awarded an honorary Oscar® for Best Foreign Film in 1950.