Rating: 
Summary: Grand Filmmaking
Review:
One of the greatest films ever. And it's near impossible for me to explain why that is so. The story of a guy who gets his bicycle stolen and spends the entire film looking for it doesn't sound like anything great. But....it is. Perhaps it's the sheer simplicity of it. Or perhaps it's just plain movie magic - a nuance that has escaped Hollywood. Don't know. But I do know that The Bicycle Thief has always been on my personal list of all-time great films. Watch it for yourself and I am certian that you, too, will be captivated by it.
Rating:
Summary: Bycicle Thieves...
Review: I remember watchin this movie for the first time with my father when i was around 8 years old and i should say that i did not fully appreciate it(i probably would have liked to watch a chaplin movie). later i watched it when i was in my teens and was really impressed.I must say that it is a fantastic movie. i would recommend this to everyone. Especially to those who r lost in the wilderness of CGI. The magic of monochrome lives on.
Rating:
Summary: The Classic of Italian Neorealism and the Post-War World
Review: "Ladri di biciclette" is a marvelous representation of the struggle for life in post-war Europe. Vittorio De Sisca's story is rather simple: a poor man trying to feed his family finally gains a job putting up posters, which requires him to have a bicycle. His wife pawns the sheets off their bed to buy the bicycle, which is then stolen on his first day of work. What follows is a tragedy of epic proportions. The character of Antonio Ricci is most memorably played by Lamberto Maggiorani, who was not an actor, which only adds to his effectiveness in the role of a simple man trying to deal with a simple problem in a world that does not care about his concerns. This is a film for those who need an operational definition of Neorealism. Antonio and his son search the streets of Rome for the bicycle, which ends up being one of the great symbols in cinema of not only the need for human dignity but so much more. The film's conclusion is haunting and provocative, confronting us with the world of indifference we have created and implicitly asking the viewer what are you go to do about it when this movie is over? Many films have been made about the tragedy and horrors of war. "The Bicycle Thief" is one of the greatest explorations of the tragedy and horrors of the post-war world.
Rating:
Summary: The Classic of Italian Neorealism and the Post-War World
Review: "Ladri di biciclette" is a marvelous representation of the struggle for life in post-war Europe. Vittorio De Sisca's story is rather simple: a poor man trying to feed his family finally gains a job putting up posters, which requires him to have a bicycle. His wife pawns the sheets off their bed to buy the bicycle, which is then stolen on his first day of work. What follows is a tragedy of epic proportions. The character of Antonio Ricci is most memorably played by Lamberto Maggiorani, who was not an actor, which only adds to his effectiveness in the role of a simple man trying to deal with a simple problem in a world that does not care about his concerns. This is a film for those who need an operational definition of Neorealism. Antonio and his son search the streets of Rome for the bicycle, which ends up being one of the great symbols in cinema of not only the need for human dignity but so much more. The film's conclusion is haunting and provocative, confronting us with the world of indifference we have created and implicitly asking the viewer what are you go to do about it when this movie is over? Many films have been made about the tragedy and horrors of war. "The Bicycle Thief" is one of the greatest explorations of the tragedy and horrors of the post-war world.
Rating: 
Summary: Painfully brillant!
Review: "The Bicycle Thief" was an absolutely mesmerizing film. From start to finish there is a tension in the film that is absolutely riveting. De Sica takes us through post-war Italy where employment is scarce and competition in the local job market is high.It is interesting to watch the fall of an honest man to the very depths of despair and thievery in an attempt to keep a job so he can care for his family. Tense and moving.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Version of Classic Movie
Review: A beautiful, humanistic portrayal of poverty and desperation as well as one of the most evocative documents of post-WWII European life. The sound and visual quality on the DVD are better than any other version I've seen and yet the film doesn't look "glitzed up" - no Dolby sound, no digital airbrushing - so it retains its common touch. The story simply concerns a man who's lost a bicycle that he desperately needs for his jobs and his day-long attempt to find it. Within this simple narrative framework, the director, Vittorio de Sica, and his writer, Cesare Zattavini, unfold Roman society as it existed just after the defeat of fascism - squalid, predatory, and cutthroat. De Sica astutely prevents the film from becoming maudlin through the toughness of his approach - the laborer's search for his bicycle focuses the film and seals off any intrusive melodrama. The ending, where the father shamefully faces his son after he's caught stealing a bicycle, is one of the cinema's most heartbreaking finales - right up there with Chaplin's "City Lights". Although its status has diminished somewhat in some circles - by those who see it as a well-intentioned but programmatic Marxist fable - "The Bicycle Thief" remains, for me, a masterpiece and one of the most compassionate portrayals of poverty ever put on film. It would make an interesting double-bill with Bunuel's contemporary "Los Olivados" (1950), his pitiless masterpiece on those left out of the postwar good times. I can hardly wait for that film, as well as de Sica's "Shoeshine", to come out on DVD as well.
Rating:
Summary: Thief of hearts
Review: A classic of world cinema, "The Bicycle Thief" deals with postwar Italian circumstances with searing impact. Some of the elements may remind you of "It's A Wonderful Life," but let's just say: Frank Capra it ain't! This work is uncompromising, and, as famed playwright Arthur Miller put it, "remorseless." It's a wake-up call, effectively arguing that good, sound minded people can be morally destroyed by obsession and despondency; that what is of no consequence to many is vital to some. Don't jump into buying this movie on the opinions of those who love it; it's not for everyone's taste. Rent it first. If you're looking for "entertainment," look elsewhere. But if you value artistically fine movies that address harsh realities, you will be bowled over by this poignant, involving look into one man's snowballing desperation. This film is a friend for life if you appreciate it! This DVD version of an important film is terrible. Image Entertainment usually makes good digital transfers, and this disc is no exception. But the cause of my gripe isn't the transfer, it's the print used. The copy that Image offers on this DVD is in DESPERATE need of restoration. There are all manner of imperfections in this print -- blotches, streaks, jumps (sometimes for several frames!), scratches, etc. This makes for a visual and audio shadow of a great movie. As if this weren't bad enough, the subtitles are poor. Too many words are left out in the translation, and the subtitles sometimes come late in relation to the dialogue. On the other side of the ledger, the English dub is excellently done (except for a brief section late in the film, seemingly due to the print). The voices are expertly in sync with the lip movement, and dramatic consistency is achieved by what appear to be Italian actors. Since there are no special features to speak of on the DVD, I'll share some facts about this film that aren't included on the disc. David O. Selznick (producer of "Gone With The Wind") is reported to have offered backing to "The Bicycle Thief," on condition that Carey Grant play the father. The star, Lamberto Maggiorani, was actually a steel factory worker. When he was done with the film, he went back to work at the factory. There he became somewhat unpopular with his co-workers, who were apparently envious of his newfound fame and fortune. Soon thereafter, he found himself unemployed. The little boy, played by Enzo Staiola, was discovered in a crowd watching work on the movie.
Rating:
Summary: Thief of hearts
Review: A classic of world cinema, "The Bicycle Thief" deals with postwar Italian circumstances with searing impact. Some of the elements may remind you of "It's A Wonderful Life," but let's just say: Frank Capra it ain't! This work is uncompromising, and, as famed playwright Arthur Miller put it, "remorseless." It's a wake-up call, effectively arguing that good, sound minded people can be morally destroyed by obsession and despondency; that what is of no consequence to many is vital to some. Don't jump into buying this movie on the opinions of those who love it; it's not for everyone's taste. Rent it first. If you're looking for "entertainment," look elsewhere. But if you value artistically fine movies that address harsh realities, you will be bowled over by this poignant, involving look into one man's snowballing desperation. This film is a friend for life if you appreciate it! This DVD version of an important film is terrible. Image Entertainment usually makes good digital transfers, and this disc is no exception. But the cause of my gripe isn't the transfer, it's the print used. The copy that Image offers on this DVD is in DESPERATE need of restoration. There are all manner of imperfections in this print -- blotches, streaks, jumps (sometimes for several frames!), scratches, etc. This makes for a visual and audio shadow of a great movie. As if this weren't bad enough, the subtitles are poor. Too many words are left out in the translation, and the subtitles sometimes come late in relation to the dialogue. On the other side of the ledger, the English dub is excellently done (except for a brief section late in the film, seemingly due to the print). The voices are expertly in sync with the lip movement, and dramatic consistency is achieved by what appear to be Italian actors. Since there are no special features to speak of on the DVD, I'll share some facts about this film that aren't included on the disc. David O. Selznick (producer of "Gone With The Wind") is reported to have offered backing to "The Bicycle Thief," on condition that Carey Grant play the father. The star, Lamberto Maggiorani, was actually a steel factory worker. When he was done with the film, he went back to work at the factory. There he became somewhat unpopular with his co-workers, who were apparently envious of his newfound fame and fortune. Soon thereafter, he found himself unemployed. The little boy, played by Enzo Staiola, was discovered in a crowd watching work on the movie.
Rating:
Summary: One of the top ten best films ever produced.
Review: A magnificent experience of surving society, life and family. Rarely can you emphasize to such a degree with a film. You live it, not experience it.
Rating: 
Summary: I wasted an hour and 29 minutes on THAT?! It was dreadful!!
Review: All right, I've read some great reviews for this movie, (granted it was very well directed) but 1.5 dreary hours of this guy looking for his bike is not my idea of entertainment. They didn't give us anything. They could have at least had the boy triumphantly say, "Oh poppa, look... I finda the bell!" And oh how joyous their night without sheets would have been! Every now and again they would give you a glimmer of hope (hope that the movie was going somewhere) when Rici finds a lead, but it always ends up being a dead end. I thought the point of movies was to entertain, not to remind you that life can suck. I think most people out there believe that life sucks without the help of brooding Italian film makers. The movie should have ended after about 40 minutes on the one minor high note it had: It was in the restaurant when Rici realized that life can suck when you're poor but 'what can ya do?' So he splurged on a nice meal and some wine to get himself and his prepubescent son drunk! (The movie barely gets one star for the excellent directing)
|
