Wednesday, March 22, 2017
Bicycle Thieves
Please choose at least two features of neorealism that DeSica presents in the film that effectively convey the overall meaning of the film. Choose one five minute scene and analyze the scene through genre theory, using at least one quote from the articles I have given you. Utilize the Chandler article on genre theory that I have given you as well.
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A defining feature of Italian Neorealism is the focus on Injustice. This is very evident within Bicycle Thieves, as not only does it showcase the never-solved stealing of the protagonist's bike, but also him dishing out injustice to others as he is slowly broken in his attempts to find his own bike. This also ties into the theme of Desperation, which is found in the movie, building up until eventually the protagonist steals a bike in the purest form of desperation, a climax of building despair and loss of hope.
ReplyDeleteThere is a sequence at the end of the movie where the protagoist is mocked by his surroundings, as several bikes are all around him par travel, an organized biking event, and a man who is currently at work. The scene capitalizes on the expectations of the Neorealist genre as we have recently come from witnessing the poverty of the protagonist, in addition to having witnissed all of his suffering. This then all cumulates in one rash decision where he steals a bike. Not only is this a fall to dispiar for the protagonist, a very true to life element, but also a last strike of injustice AGAINST him as he soon realizes that he will NOT get a break. Even though his bike was stolen no problem, everyone and their mother suddenly has a heart when he tries the same trick.
The movement of Italian neorealism had many different characteristics which set this particular genre out from others. A prominent feature of this movement which DeSica utilized is the exploration of the living conditions of the poor and lower working class. Italian neorealism focuses on the manner in which these people are able to survive in this world and in society. DeSica is able to use this feature to portray the living conditions of Antonio, his wife Maria, and son Bruno. He is desperate to find work in order to support his family and when he does, it requires a bicycle. However, it gets stolen and he and his son go on a journey to try and recover this bicycle, obviously failing. This illustrates how the living conditions of the poor and working class were brutal yet required such simple tools which the poor and working class were not able to afford. It also demonstrates the unemployment of a mass population of men trying to find work but having a hard time doing so. Bicycle Thieves illustrates the manner of survival through Antonio who only needed a simple tool of a bike yet goes on such a struggle to find it after it has been stolen and still fails.
ReplyDeleteAnother significant feature of neorealism is the portrayal of children as major characters. However, these children are depicted more through the observational lens where they do not say much but the manner in which they act causes feelings of sympathy within the viewer at the struggle of trying to survive in society where the odds are against you. Bruno plays a significant role in this entire movie because his naivety and innocence moves the audience and touches their emotions. The struggle is effortlessly seen through Bruno as he is a child who is forced to subject to a life where survival is extremely hard.
In the scene where Antonio and Bruno are eating in a little restaurant. Bruno is seen eating his food yet he keeps looking back at another table with a boy who is eating luxuriously. Bruno's facial expressions of innocence really hit the viewer and make them feel empathy. This feature of the neorealism genre is effective in working the pathos mindset in the audience. Chandler states in his essay on genre theory that, "Genres may offer various emotional pleasures such as empathy and escapism". This is true in this movie and with neorealism as the audience who watched this film were able to relate to the contents of the film such as the struggle for survival but at the same time were able to escape, if even for a little bit, the reality of their own harsh living conditions.
Neorealist films were mostly filmed with nonprofessional actors to emphasize the normality and real life conditions of the story. In Bicycle Thieves, both main characters, Antonio and Bruno, were nonprofessional actors. Lamberto Maggiorani, who played Antonio, was a factory worker before he was cast in the film. Enzo Staiola, who played Bruno, was a random child the producers found on the streets before he was cast in the film.
ReplyDeleteAnother significant characteristic of Neorealist films is realistic and everyday plots. Bicycle Thieves has a very simple, everyday plot to emphasize the raw emotions of the film and help the viewer to truly feel these emotions.
In the scene where Antonio takes Bruno to lunch, they are able to briefly forget their troubles until they see a rich family dining like kings, which makes Antonio snap back into reality and his sorrow and desperation becomes evident again. This brief escape is a common theme in neorealism, and greatly contributes to the film as a whole.
In his essay on genre theory, Daniel Chandler emphasises how “genre provides an important frame of reference which helps readers to identify, select and interpret texts”. In this, our knowledge of Italian Neorealism gives us a deeper understanding for the film “Bicycle Thieves”. A byproduct of the post-WWII era, Italian Neorealism dealt in the real, dramatic struggles of people dealing with poverty, oppression and injustice in a largely uncaring system. Many of the techniques and aesthetics of the genre can be seen all throughout “Bicycle Thieves”.
ReplyDeleteTake, for example, the scene wherein Antonio treats his son Bruno to a restaurant lunch after a series of increasingly unfortunate events preventing them from finding his stolen bicycle. The scene is open about their family’s class struggles, particularly within the series of glances Bruno has with a condescending bourgeois boy sitting behind them. The bourgeois boy’s facial expression reeks of haughtiness and apathy as he barely pays Bruno any attention, whereas Bruno longs for the comfortable life and full meals the boy has and grows increasingly trepidatious as the meals progress. When his father tells him how much money living like that would cost, Bruno immediately loses his appetite, as though no longer wanting to eat the food if it meant burdening his family later. Antonio, too, loses his appetite despite his early exuberance as he realizes just how much he has lost when the bike was stolen. In the scene, describes how the job would have allowed his family to live just a little better, and yet he lost his opportunity on the first day. This encapsulates the hopelessness common in Italian Neorealism; how rare moments of happiness can be easily undermined by random chance and a system that doesn’t care about your happiness or wellbeing. As Godfrey Cheshire states in his essay, “the film teeters between ongoing idealism and encroaching melancholy, a place where the earnest formulas of ideology are deepened by the intuitions of tragedy.”
A few characteristics of neorealism that DeSica presents in the film is the fact that neorealist films tend to use regular people to act instead of any famous professional actor. These films typically shoot on location without any sets. Also, neorealist films in general are based off of real life stories from the working class making the plot seem very realistic; usually stripping it of it's "happily ever after's".
ReplyDeleteThe use of certain emotions and situations on screen are typically used to evoke empathy in an audience during neorealist films. The scene at the end of the film where Antonio is caught and confronted by a group of people for stealing a man's bicycle. They all insist that he should be put away for theft, until the owner of the bike himself changes his mind after he sees that Antonio has a child, Bruno, who is currently crying out for his father. The owner of the bike and the audience of the film are forced to empathize with Antonio, because he is just doing what he has to to get a job and make money, The bike owner saw Bruno crying and realized that if he put Antonio away in jail, Bruno would probably never see his father again.
Bicycle Thieves is a 1948 Italian neorealist film that was directed by Vittorio De Sica. Two features of neorealism that De Sica chooses to present in this film are real life situations and stories that are set among the poor and working class. These two features contribute to the overall meaning of the film which is that life in Italy during this time period was hard. This theme is expressed in the scene where Maria removes and pawns her dowry bed sheets just so they have enough money to purchase a bike.in hopes of eventually making more money. De Sica then plays with the viewer’s expectations with a very surprising outcome which is that Antonio will later get his bike stolen and not be able to get it back. In an essay on genre theory, Daniel Chandler stated that, “Conventional definitions of genres tend to be based on the notion that they constitute particular conventions of content and/or form which are shared by the texts which are regarded as belonging to them..” This statement definitely applies to Bicycle Thieves as it share the themes and traits of an Italian Neorealist film such as portraying everyday life of the working class, harsh but realistic stories, and usually not having a happy ending.
ReplyDeleteIn the scene where Antonio storms out of the church up until the father and son reconcile over mozzarella sandwiches, there are two prevalent themes common to Italian neorealism. The first is the theme of society and its treatment of the lower class. The fact that Antonio and Bruno are run out of church is the first sign that the odds are stacked against them. "Institutions and groups of people fail to help" (Norton), leaving the individual working-man to fend for himself. When Antonio and Bruno go out to eat, they are reminded of their social class because sitting next to them is a rich family who make a million ire a month and can afford to buy plates of spaghetti while they can only buy a couple cheese sandwiches. This is just another normal day for both parties, but the juxtaposition between the social class conditions is emphasized in the neorealistic film to elicit sympathy for the common man Antonio who “loves his family and wants to protect and support them” (Ebert) by finding a job.
ReplyDeleteOn that subject, family plays another important role in this scene. Antonio snaps and slaps his son, but panics when he thinks his son is drowning and takes him out for lunch—which probably costs more than what he can afford to spend—when he finds his son alive and safe. This is a turning point in the film where “filial solidarity replaces the class solidarity that De Sica and Zavattini evidently saw as receding in Italy” (Godfrey Cheshire, “Bicycle Thieves: A Passionate Commitment to the Real”). Up until this point, Antonio’s sole focus has been on getting his bicycle back, but now he begins to turn his attention more toward his son and focus on the strength of their familial bond. The importance of family as a theme of neorealism is reflective of the changing post-war values in Italy, and it is quite possible that “this has been the main drama all along” (Cheshire).
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ReplyDeleteIn his essay on film Genre Daniel Chandler wrote “The cycles and transformations of genres can nevertheless be seen as a response to political, social and economic conditions.” This is certainly true of the bicycle thief as it portrays the struggles of poverty in post war Germany and the way humans are shaped through that struggle.
ReplyDeleteNeorealism, centered in italy, has several distinct characteristics of that seperates it from other film genres. Such as the emphasis on the value of ordinary people and an emphasis on emotions rather than abstract ideas. The bicycle Thieves was a perfect example of both those characteristics as a simple concept was used to explore a side of humanity as a whole. A scene that perfectly exemplifies those two characteristics was the scene where Antonio loses his bike. The scene begins at a high angle as Antonio is hanging up posters outside. He is almost smiling creating a happy tone along with the low angle to show how he finally succeeded in getting a job and providing for his family. There’s not many people shown as Antonio hangs up the pictures until his bike is actually stolen. Then large crowds are seen walking on the street. As the bike symbolized hope the fact no one on the street was noticing or caring about the theft created a sense that hopelessness and tragedy was so normal to everyday life. The following shots are mostly medium or long shots until Antonio comes to terms with the fact the bike was not coming back and a close up of his devastated face shows even more clearly the horribleness of the situation. Antomio then goes back to the posters, continuing his job even though he will be fired. The act within itself characterized Antonio as a good person but also the use of a low angle did as well. This time however he is no longer standing on the ladder so the low angle is less steep showing the loss he just endured. Within three minutes the film showed the hardships and emotion of ordinary people in a normal world.
In his essay An Introduction to Genre Theory, Daniel Chandler discusses how films can be classified as belonging to specific genres based on "particular conventions of content (such as themes or setting) and/or form (including structure and style)". Films can also be identified with certain genres based on the time period that it was produced. The movie Bicycle Thieves was produced in 1948 as part of the Italian Neorealism movement in film. This genre depicted the everyday experiences of people struggling in Italy, without any sugarcoating.
ReplyDeleteOne of the common themes in Italian Neorealism films was the struggle of class inequality. In the scene where Antonio decides to treat his son Bruno to lunch despite their financial troubles, the issue of inequality is tackled. Although Antonio and Bruno enjoy their food, Bruno cannot help but notice a boy his age eating at a nearby table. The people seated at the table have a much more extravagant meal, making it immediately clear that they are far more wealthy than Antonio's family. This is further supported when Antonio notices Bruno looking at the upper class family, and tells him that the family must make at least a million in a month to be able to eat the way they do. I think that including a boy around the same age as Bruno was especially effective, because it suggested that you can be born into wealth, and do not always have a say in your social class. They were two young boys raised in the same culture in the same city, but had managed to lead completely different lives.
Another common theme of Italian Neorealism that appeared in Bicycle Thieves was disillusionment with the society that the characters lived in. At the start of the film, the family is poor, but easily become hopeful when Antonio announces his chance at a better-paying job. They don't have much, often selling or pawning their possessions to make ends meet, but have not given up hope for a better life in the future. However, Antonio and Bruno's experiences after having the bicycle stolen crush their spirits and positivity. In one scene, Antonio goes to the police to report the theft, but is brushed off because it is not a serious enough crime. Later on, when they try to get the bicycle back from the young man who stole it, the man faints, and a large crowd surrounds and insults Antonio until a police officer arrives. The officer is unable to find evidence that he was the one who stole the bike,and he suggests that Antonio drop the matter if he doesn't want trouble over "just a bicycle". However, the bicycle is a lifeline for Antonio, who decides that if the police would not help, he would steal another person's bicycle. After being caught, Antonio is last seen crying while holding onto his son's hand, as he walks away in a crowd knowing that he did not get justice for being robbed, which led him to commit a crime himself. Any hope that he had for the future was destroyed, and he felt as though he had failed his family.
Two features of neorealism that DeSica used in Bicycle Thieves are the everyday situation of someone's bike getting stolen. The aspect of having a very simple story so that the audience can relate to it and emotionally connect with Antonio Ricci as he searches around Rome for his stolen bike. Another feature is how DeSica uses Bruno, Antonio's soon. Neorealism uses the innocence and outside view of children to reflect our actions and the example that is set for them. In the scene at the church where Antonio finds the old man he has been looking for. It is natural to go searching and asking people for the information you need. This neorealist genre gives a more authentic and real response from Antonio to the old, poor man in the church. Ebert says "This story is so direct it plays more as a parable than a drama." This shows how the raw and simple storyline of neorealism connects with the audience so much that they can easily follow it and gain a lesson in the end that you normally wouldn't obtain from a drama or other genre. Bruno just watches his father become more frustrated during this scene and they lose the old man and get kicked out of the church. Bruno tries to sway his father away from searching for the old man. Antonio slaps Bruno after yelling at him to be quiet. This shows a depicts a real circumstance that occurs between fathers and sons. Bruno becomes discouraged and angry at his father, but by the end he and Antonio have made up and are on their way to grab a bite to eat. Just like Bruno and Antonio sons fight with their father, but after the initial anger and frustration, they go bac to being father and son and the argument is forgotten.
ReplyDeleteItalian neorealism is best known for communicating realistic stories and situations: unlike Hollywood films of the same era, these neorealist films were shot on location, used non-professional actors, and told stories that reflected the social hardships that the common people of Italy faced on a daily basis. In his article “Bicycle Thieves: A Passionate Commitment to the Real”, Godfrey Cheshire writes “Though they perhaps elected to compete with Hollywood on a comparable level of technique, they were still embarked on the heroic quest of speaking about the real people and places and social hardships that most moviemakers (then as now) took pains to avoid.” This is evident in the concluding scene of the 1948 Vittorio De Sica film “Bicycle Thieves”, in which protagonist Antonio Ricci attempts to steal a bicycle but is caught by a crowd of people who condemn him for his actions. De Sica makes note of Antonio’s nerves and general uncertainty by interchanging close up shots of his face with more open framed shots of the bicycle he plans to steal. De Sica also establishes Antonio as an outsider socially, both in an implicit and explicit manner. At the start of the scene, the streets are virtually empty with the exception of Antonio, his son, and a few pedestrians. The majority of the town is in a Coliseum watching a football match, a device De Sica uses to imply the separation between Antonio and the rest of the town. This is touched on explicitly when Antonio is chased down and apprehended by a sizable crowd of people after he has stolen the bike. This is an especially devastating moment for both Antonio and the audience, as it makes both recall how Antonio received very little help after his bike was stolen, creating a whirlwind of frustration and sadness. Through this scene, and the film as a whole, De Sica is trying to convey the plight of the working class, specifically how virtually nothing works in their favor.
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