This journal will be mainly focusing on Italian Neorealism. This theory was founded by Cesare Zavattini in 1942, which suggested a new style of Italian Cinema that abolishes planned plots. This new form uses real people and locations so that direct contact is established with contemporary social reality, which was the life after Italy had surrendered to Germany during World War 2. To be more accurate, contemporary social reality unconditionally emphasizes on the ordinariness of daily lives.
Theory Discussion
Italian Neorealism was known as a cinema filled with poverty and pessimism. However, its decline began in the fifties as the nations were changing for the better and it was not economically profitable in Italy. The movie that will be discussed soon, Bicycle Thieves (1948), can be classified as Italian Neorealism due to fulfillment of the following traits : possesses melodramatic aspects, references to contemporary national experiences, used mixture of professional actors and non-actors, and mostly shot on-location, in the ruins of the post-war era.
Synopsis
Ricci Antonio, an unemployed man in the depressed post-World War 2 economy in Italy, was offered a job to hang up posters - for which he needed a bicycle (IMDb, n.d.). As his job required a bike, his wife then sold six of their bed sheets to redeem their bike at the pawn shop. On Ricci's first day of working, his bicycle was stolen as he was hanging up posters. Ricci, with his son's companion, had tried several attempts to trace back the bike by reporting to the police, seeking help from his friend Baiocco, approaching the old man who conversed with the thief. Despite located the thief, Ricci's accusation was of no use as he had no proof. He himself at last became a bicycle thief due to his keenness to retain his job. Unfortunately, he was caught by a group of man, right in front of his son.
Analysis
Bicycle Thieves (1948) had few scenes which consisted melodramatic aspects. According to Filmsite (n.d.), melodrama films are characterized by plot to appeal to the heightened emotions of the audience. The word "melodrama" consists of drama and melos-music, which means "play with music" (para.1). For example, Ricci frowned and looked around hopelessly as he failed to chase after the thief who stole his bike. This scene was accompanied with melancholy music to better enhance his state of mind - which is puzzled and depressed.
Besides, the other scene which possessed melodramatic aspect is when Bruno realized his father was cycling a stolen bike. This particular scene was very dramatic as Bruno facial expression showed how confused he was when he saw men were chasing after his father. His mixed feelings were accompanied by tense music as the group of men almost caught his father.
The second aspect of Italian Neorealism which was shown in the movie is references to contemporary national experience. According to History (n.d.), Gen. Dwight Eisenhower publicly announced the surrender of Italy to the allies (para.1). As the movie was filmed in year 1948 which was post-WWII, unemployment rate was high and citizens were eager to be hired. In order to complement the contemporary, the movie showed a large crowd of men gathering in front of an employment office in Valmelaina. This is why Ricci was delight yet upset at the same time when he got a job in the lackluster Italian economy (GradeSaver, n.d., para.1). Furthermore, the post-war contemporary was shown in the scene where many citizens lined up to pawn their belongings. People who used to live in comfort had no choice but to pawn things such as linen, binoculars and etc.
Furthermore, mostly of the scenes in Italian Neorealism were shot on-location, which were in the ruins of the post-war era. This aspect can relate the audience to the scenario of lives after war. In the movie, there are few scenes which can reflect this aspect. For example, there were many newly built apartments in the movie. When Ricci was offered a job, he went back to find his wife who was busy with her chores. The buildings were neat and clean, which reflects citizens who were rebuilding their nation after WWII. In addition, there was one scene where the old guy tried to run away from Ricci and Bruno on the bridge at the town. This scene showed the tranquility of Italy after they had surrendered to their allies in WWII. Citizens were able to mobile in town areas without restrictions and curfews as the nation was freed from war. Moreover, the other on-location shot is the cheers for "Forza Modena" team in the stadium. When Ricci was having his dilemma of whether to steal the bicycle or not, there were cheers from the stadium. It was not a planned event; instead, it was a real footage on the day of filming at the location. Citizens can enjoy watching matches in stadium which also proved peaceful lives after war.
Conclusion
Bicycle Thieves (1948) is a black and white film that showed the unfortunate life of an unemployed man. His persistence in searching for his stolen bike was a futile as no one believed in his accusation. This sorrowful film had a tragic ending where Ricci Antonio unable to get back his bike as well as showed Bruno his vulnerable side. The moral value behind Bicycle Thieves is that one can lose everything in his or her life except self-esteem.
Reference
1. Filmsite (n.d.). Melodrama films. Retrieved from
http://www.filmsite.org/melodramafilms.html
2. GradeSaver (n.d.). Bicycle Thieves Summary. Retrieved from
https://www.gradesaver.com/bicycle-thieves/study-guide/summary
3. History (n.d.). Italian surrender is announced. Retrieved from
https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/italian-surrender-is-announced
4. IMDb (n.d.). Bicycle Thieves (1948): Plot. Retrieved from
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0040522/plotsummary
5. Snider, E. D. (2015). 11 Heart-Stealing Facts About Bicycle Thieves. Retrieved from
http://mentalfloss.com/article/70637/11-heart-stealing-facts-about-bicycle-thieves
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