Monica Chu Film 100 FRU

2022-02143 November 27, 2023

Discussion Board for Italian Neorealism

1. Discuss the narrativity (chronology, focalization, temporal manipulations) of Bicycle

Thieves. Which narrative convention does it belong to and why? (3pts)

Bicycle Thieves tells the universal story of human resilience amidst adversity. In an
environment where their hope is held together by a thread, these characters, though struggling,
prevail. The story is told through the eyes of an Italian family living at a time when Rome was
suffering from economic and cultural recession. This story is also told in a conventional
chronological order and without much temporal manipulation, letting the audience get seeped
into the story. However, the story here is less structured, but I will discuss the creative process
in the next question. I believe this film belongs to the arthouse genre of art cinema because of
its emphasis on creative and personal expression. The way the story is presented, especially
with the director’s intentions of making a neorealist film, points to art cinema conventions as
well.

2. Analyze the mise-en-scene of Bicycle Thieves and discuss the aspects of it that stood
out to you. How did they contribute to the film's meaning-making? (3pts)

This film was an intensely real expression of what families in Rome were going through
after the war. Directed by Vittorio De Sica, this film took realism and upped the ante by shooting
on location with non-professional actors. This film takes place in a war-torn Rome and does not
shy from any of the deep, painful, gripping struggles of the individual, the family, the community,
and its central institutions. Whether it was the chatter in town halls, merchant squares, or candid
conversations in the family home, this film was very realistic to me. Another central theme that
came to me was the role of the male in society. The dynamic between a father and a son, in the
conditions of societal turmoil, is put into question. In many ways, the bicycle in Bicycle Thieves
symbolizes the hope for a better life, but it is stolen, and tainted with the intention of thievery. All
in all, this film was a beautiful meditation on the questions of morality in a state where an
economy has turned people desperate.

3. Talk about any moments in the editing of Bicycle Thieves, or its use of sound, that got
your attention. What about it was memorable or significant? (2pts)

There were camera movements that put emphasis on the desperation that society felt in
relation to the recession, turmoil, and a downtrodden Italy. This was especially prominent during
the climax of the film when the protagonist, Antonio Ricci, attempted to steal a bicycle in front of
his son. This was memorable to me because it caught my attention and made me think about
how these stylistic choices were intentional. The director urges the audience to feel one with
Antonio, a working-class man, and his desperation for something bigger than himself. The
shaky camera movements also made me realize that this film was not meant to be romanticized
or especially “beautiful”, rather, it was meant to be very true to social and political realities.

4. Compared to the 3 pre-WWII art movements that influenced cinema, what was so
distinct about the Italian Neorealist movement that captured the world's imagination?
(2pts)

A nation that just endured war can create very interesting conditions for artists to operate
under. In the immediate post-war environment, Italian Neorealism emerged as a sign of cultural
shifts in Italy. The economics, culture, and politics of post-war Italy set the stage for filmmakers
to shift the focus from the state to the people, to tell stories from the eyes of the working class
and the masses.