- Format: PAL
- Language Italian
- Subtitles: English
- Region: Region 2 (This DVD may not be viewable outside Europe. Read more about DVD formats.)
- Aspect Ratio: 4:3 - 1.33:1
- Number of discs: 1
- Classification: U
- Studio: Arrow
- DVD Release Date: 20 Feb 2006
- Run Time: 94 minutes
- Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
- ASIN: B000CZ0O4U
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 39,145 in Film & TV (See Top 100 in Film & TV)
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Synopsis
Heralded as the greatest film ever made on release, winning an Oscar in 1949 and topping the Sight & Sound film poll in 1952, De Sica s seminal work of Italian neorealism has had an impact on cinema worldwide from release to the present day, with filmmakers such as Satyajit Ray and Ken Loach claiming the film as a direct influence on their own.
Bicycle Thieves tells the of Antonio, a long unemployed man who finally finds employment putting up cinema posters for which he needs a bicycle. His wife pawns all the family linen to redeem the already pawned bicycle and for Antonio salvation has come, until the bicycle is stolen. Antonio and his son take to the streets in a desperate search to find the bicycle, which will keep them away from poverty and humiliation but amidst a sea of bicycles and without proof the search is fruitless. Bicycle Thieves us as much about the position of Italians in post-War, post-Fascist Italy as well as the relationship between father and son, told through the labyrinth of the cinematic city with De Sica s visual poetry. With pared down minimalism, eschewing studios and famous actors for real locations and non-professional actors who lived the lives they were playing, Bicycle Thieves defined the neorealist period, a small period of filmmaking that focused on simple, humanist stories, of which Bicycle Thieves was one of the most captivating and moving.
Arrow Academy presents Vittorio De Sica s masterpiece Bicycle Thieves on Blu-ray for the first time in the UK.
Extras:
- Audio Commentary by Robert Gordon, Italian cinema expert and author of Bicycle Thieves (BFI Film Classics)
- ‘Cesare Zavattini’ a feature length documentary by director Carlo Lizzani on the great screenwriter, novelist, critic, long time De Sica collaborator and founder of Italian neorealism
- ‘Timeless Cinema’, a documentary portrait of director, actor and screenwriter Vittorio De Sica
- Original Trailer
- Booklet including brand new writing on the film and a reprint of Cesare Zavattini’s ‘Some Ideas on the Cinema’, illustrated with origina
Review
One of the greatest cinematic experiences ever --Empire
The definition of Italian neo-realism --Total Film
Bicycle Thieves is a brilliant, tactlessly real work of art. --The Guardian
The definition of Italian neo-realism --Total Film
Bicycle Thieves is a brilliant, tactlessly real work of art. --The Guardian
The definition of Italian neo-realism --Total Film
Bicycle Thieves is a brilliant, tactlessly real work of art. --The Guardian
The definition of Italian neo-realism --Total Film
Bicycle Thieves is a brilliant, tactlessly real work of art. --The Guardian
The definition of Italian neo-realism --Total Film
Bicycle Thieves is a brilliant, tactlessly real work of art. --The Guardian
The definition of Italian neo-realism --Total Film
Bicycle Thieves is a brilliant, tactlessly real work of art. --The Guardian
The definition of Italian neo-realism --Total Film
Bicycle Thieves is a brilliant, tactlessly real work of art. --The Guardian
The definition of Italian neo-realism --Total Film
Bicycle Thieves is a brilliant, tactlessly real work of art. --The Guardian
The definition of Italian neo-realism --Total Film
Bicycle Thieves is a brilliant, tactlessly real work of art. --The Guardian
The definition of Italian neo-realism --Total Film
Bicycle Thieves is a brilliant, tactlessly real work of art. --The Guardian
The definition of Italian neo-realism --Total Film
Bicycle Thieves is a brilliant, tactlessly real work of art. --The Guardian
The definition of Italian neo-realism --Total Film
Bicycle Thieves is a brilliant, tactlessly real work of art. --The Guardian
The definition of Italian neo-realism --Total Film
Bicycle Thieves is a brilliant, tactlessly real work of art. --The Guardian
The definition of Italian neo-realism --Total Film
Bicycle Thieves is a brilliant, tactlessly real work of art. --The Guardian
The definition of Italian neo-realism --Total Film
Bicycle Thieves is a brilliant, tactlessly real work of art. --The Guardian
The definition of Italian neo-realism --Total Film
Bicycle Thieves is a brilliant, tactlessly real work of art. --The Guardian
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
40 of 41 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A marvellous classic of the Italian cinema,
By Mr. Ian A. Macfarlane "almac1975" (Fife, Scotland) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER) (REAL NAME)
This review is from: Bicycle Thieves [1948] [DVD] (DVD)
Vittoria de Sica's famous film is as powerful, raw and moving now as it was when it was made - and in addition it has something of the feel of a historical document, portraying as it does the desperation of an honest man with a wife and children in the social and economic maelstrom of post-War Italy. He gets a job - hundreds do not - as a bill-poster, but he must have a bicycle ; the job depends on it. With difficulty he gets one, but on his first day at work, it is stolen. What looked like a promising future will turn to ashes for him, his wife and his two children, one a baby, if the bicycle is not recovered. With his son Bruno, wonderfully, wonderfully played by Enzo Staiolla, he sets out on a desperate quest to find the bicycle among the thousands and thousands in the city. The film moves through a series of episodes in the market place, a church ministering to the poor, the riverside, a brothel, a seedy quarter where he actually comes upon the thief, and so on until, at the end, despair drives him mad and, in view of his son, he himself turns quite against character and lets himself down in a tragically convincing way. There is no silver lining and no solution ; the film just ends. It is constantly involving, beautifully made, marvellously acted and even has little touches of humour, but in the end we are left with the memory of the strength of the relationship between father and son and the hope, but not the certainty, that somehow things will turn out all right. It is a wonderful film.
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
good film ruined by sparse subtitles,
By John Calvin (Paris) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Bicycle Thieves [DVD] [1948] (DVD)
I'm a huge fan of world cinema and am working my way through the 'classics'. I watched this and was really frustrated by the lack of subtitles at key points. It seems that at times where there are quick dialogue interchanges non-Italian speakers are left to figure out what was said. only spaced out discourse is translated. The result is that it is hard to empathise with key characters as you don't know what is being said. I was left with the impression that it was just laziness that didn't give the full translation. Saying that I was glad I watched it and loved the ending. if the subtitles were re-done I would gladly re-watch. I am curious to find out what was actually said in a few scenes.
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Great film; awful subtitles,
By Ricardo B. (Portugal) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Bicycle Thieves [DVD] [1948] (DVD)
This film is incredible in every way and I highly recommended it.
However, when it comes to subtitles, I'm beginning to understand Americans aversion to them. This dvd's English subtitles are of the worst possibly quality, missing more than half of the lines and offering the translation in completely wrong timing - something I have never found in subtitles of my own language. If it wasn't for the fact that, as a Portuguese speaker, I can understand Italian well enough to compensate for the missing subtitles, I wouldn't even have finished watching it. This is not the first time I've encountered bad English subtitles. However, these were so terrible they were either made by a child or someone extremely lazy. Also, on the back it reads "Too poor to by another, he and his son...". Noticed the typo? That's on the backcover. edit: Another problem I just noticed: it says running time 143min, but the movie is close to 90 minutes long. The image quality is fine, but make no mistake, this is a terrible edition. If you can, buy a different version.
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