Chichester Cinema at New Park
Bicycle Thieves
- Ladri di Biciclette
Classics – Restored & Reissued
A landmark film – honest, beautiful, and deceptively simple. Reviewers praised ‘Bicycle Thieves’ unanimously upon its first release, which marked one of the finest achievements of Italian neorealism.
Maggiorani is a poor, working-class Italian whose happiness at finding a job gives way to despair when his bicycle – on which his employment depends – is stolen. His search for the bike takes on an epic quality, with Staiola turning in an impossibly heart-wrenching performance as Maggiorani’s young son.
‘Bicycle Thieves’ is a brilliant testament to director Vittorio De Sica’s greatness and to the power of neorealism. All roles were played by non-actors, the dialogue is as spare as it can be in a talking picture, and the coarse black-and-white photography makes viewers feel as if they were watching a documentary, though without sacrificing drama.
Cesare Zavattini received a Special Academy award as the “most outstanding” foreign film of the year in 1948. (subtitles) New 35mm print.
Italy · 1948 · Vittoria de Sica · 90min
| Sun | 08 Feb | 13:15 | Book | |
| Mon | 09 Feb | 18:00 | Book | |
| Tue | 10 Feb | 13:15 | Book |
