Rating: 
Summary: 100 stars. Nothing Compares.
Review: I've been holding off reviewing this film for a long time now. I can't put it into words. I get too scared that I might do it injustice by being pretentious and talkng out of my ass. So I'll just sort of kiss this films ass instead cause if it had an ass it would probably smell like roses. This is the greatest movie ever made. In my opinion Cinema went downhill after this film cause nothing ever made after this can compare. I pray that there is one day a DVD re-release of this film that does it justice as so many of you have pointed out. Criterion, where the hell are you? The money you spent on crap like "The Rock" or "Armageddon" could have been spent here. I have never seen a film with so much raw emotion. Watching this film for me is like an emotional rollercoaster. I must have watched this at least 100 times. This film never fades and has the power to change the lives of those who watch it. It's one of my missions in life to get people to watch this film. Every person I have shown this film to has thanked me. Anybody who disagrees with me can meet me in the Amazon parking lot. Bring friends. Interesting note: Sergio Leone (The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly) was assistant director on this film. Though he is uncredited for his work.
Rating:
Summary: The height of Italian Neo-Realism
Review: If you have asked to see this film on Amazon, then perhaps you know something about fine film. If you buy this film, then you will know something about the greatest level of great films. To see Bicycle Thief is on the order of loving classical music, but experiencing Beethoven or Mozart for the first time. Bicycle Thief has perhaps the most powerful ending of any film, with the possible exception of Open City, which you should order simultaneously with this one. Then you will own the two greatest neo-realist films of all time. Bicycle Thief is a tragedy, no doubt, but its ending lifts it out of tragedy with a message of universal love and forgiveness that will live forever.
Rating: 
Summary: Muted Music Track
Review: Image Entertainment has done an overall mediocre job on "The Bicycle Thief DVD." On the one hand, the video is excellent: crisp, sharp, a pleasure to behold.On the other, the audio has muted music, diffuse and dull throughout. The memorable, classic film score is rendered a serious blow here. Whereas dialoge is clear and full, the music, so important to this film, is actully of poor quality.To test what could have been, click on the trailer and note the fullness of the score. That's what should have been the case for the film.The overall rating of Image Entertainment's work here is below average. How unfortunate to ruin this great classic.
Rating:
Summary: Neorealism at its most profound!
Review: Imagine your family's livelihood depending on a bicycle. In post-war Italy, you compete with hundreds for a job where 25% of the work force is unemployed. The job is yours but it requires you to have a bicycle, something so simple as a bicycle and that bicycle gets stolen on the first day. Neorealism - This wonderful Italian 1948 classic directed by Vittorio de Sica is an emotional depiction of degradation of the soul, loss of humanity and dignity. The film, one of the best in cinematic history, captures neorealism at its best.
Neorealism involves the use of location settings, non-actor roles, and conversational dialogue instead of literary dialogue, simple camerawork and editing. Neorealism offers a compassionate point of view with morality. Here, we wish an innocent man with a family to support could find relief, satisfaction, comfort and justice. As for literary dialogue, there isn't anything great said here, it is simple conversation. No great special effects takes place, no shoot-um up bang bang, just plain old post-war Italy depicting real life, poverty, degradation and humanity. The VHS 50 year-old film is gritty and at times it is difficult to read the words. Desperate - Antonio, a father and husband lands a job and on the first day posting movie billboard posters, the bicycle is stolen! Antonio frantically scours the streets and his little son Bruno tenderly tags along to recover the stolen bicycle. Now keep in mind that little Bruno is in the picture for one reason, and without him, we, the audience, would have a more callous attitude to the ending. We see signs of post-war economic hard times, like the rows and rows of bicycle parts or hundreds of bedsheets that were pawned. The characters are non-actors in the real streets of Italy. You may need to see it more than once to catch everything or to understand its deeper meaning. Neorealism Director Vittorio de Sica directed 34 feature films and won numerous international prizes. He was honored with four Academy Awards for "Shoeshine" in 1947 and "Bicycle Thief" in 1949 and other film awards for "Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow" in 1964 and "Garden of the Finzi-Continis" in 1971. He died in 1974. I believe "Bicycle Thief" is one of the best. "The Bicycle Thief" is emotional, prodding one to think explicitly into the actions taken. ...MzRizz
Rating:
Summary: Neorealism at its most profound!
Review: Imagine your family's livelihood depending on a bicycle. In post-war Italy, you compete with hundreds for a job where 25% of the work force is unemployed. The job is yours but it requires you to have a bicycle, something so simple as a bicycle and that bicycle gets stolen on the first day. Neorealism - This wonderful Italian 1948 classic directed by Vittorio de Sica is an emotional depiction of degradation of the soul, loss of humanity and dignity. The film, one of the best in cinematic history, captures neorealism at its best.
Neorealism involves the use of location settings, non-actor roles, and conversational dialogue instead of literary dialogue, simple camerawork and editing. Neorealism offers a compassionate point of view with morality. Here, we wish an innocent man with a family to support could find relief, satisfaction, comfort and justice. As for literary dialogue, there isn't anything great said here, it is simple conversation. No great special effects takes place, no shoot-um up bang bang, just plain old post-war Italy depicting real life, poverty, degradation and humanity. The VHS 50 year-old film is gritty and at times it is difficult to read the words. Desperate - Antonio, a father and husband lands a job and on the first day posting movie billboard posters, the bicycle is stolen! Antonio frantically scours the streets and his little son Bruno tenderly tags along to recover the stolen bicycle. Now keep in mind that little Bruno is in the picture for one reason, and without him, we, the audience, would have a more callous attitude to the ending. We see signs of post-war economic hard times, like the rows and rows of bicycle parts or hundreds of bedsheets that were pawned. The characters are non-actors in the real streets of Italy. You may need to see it more than once to catch everything or to understand its deeper meaning. Neorealism Director Vittorio de Sica directed 34 feature films and won numerous international prizes. He was honored with four Academy Awards for "Shoeshine" in 1947 and "Bicycle Thief" in 1949 and other film awards for "Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow" in 1964 and "Garden of the Finzi-Continis" in 1971. He died in 1974. I believe "Bicycle Thief" is one of the best. "The Bicycle Thief" is emotional, prodding one to think explicitly into the actions taken. ...MzRizz
Rating:
Summary: Images of Poverty---How sad to be so poor!
Review: It is a heart wrenching film. But I recommend this for everyone. The director Vittorio De Sica successfully created the images of poverty that keep us captive in the world this story takes place, the post WWII Rome. Rome in this film is not the tourists' Rome but a seedy side of Rome. The main character of this film Antonio Ricci is an honest and proud man who is desparately seeking a job so he can provide for his family. The movie is about his hopeless struggle to be a good father and provider when everyone around him is a two-bit crook.
Rating: 
Summary: Wonderful movie, but...
Review: It's a wonderful movie, but beware: on this DVD, the subtitles are not optional, they're always there, distorting the picture and getting on one's nerves...
Rating:
Summary: One of the greatest films ever!
Review: Need I say more? Thanks to DVD, one of my favorite films of all time has been restored. This DVD is a must to own if you are a serious film collector. No review of mine will do justice to this great classic. My only regret is that after this movie along with Shoeshine, Miracle in Milan and Umberto D., director Vittorio de Sica down-spiralled to mediocrity with his films in the 60's. Even the better ones, Two Women & Garden of the Finzi-Continis pale in comparison to his earlier classics.
Rating:
Summary: Perfection
Review: On my list of the top ten foreign films of the decade, Bicycle Thief stands at the top.
Rating:
Summary: Can't get better than this
Review: One of the best movies I've ever seen. It is hard not to be touched at the last scene.
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