Stealing Our Hearts

Celebrated as one of the greatest films in Italian cinema, Ladri di Biciclette (The Bicycle Thief) is one film that everyone needs to see at least once. Vittorio di Sica has created a work of art that not only pulls on every emotional string a viewer has to offer, but also paints a stark reality of post-war Rome, bringing economic issues to the forefront of cinema. Set in 1948 Rome, the film follows Antonio and his son Bruno through the ups and downs, twists and turns, and moral collapse of a man desperately trying to feed his family. During a time where finding any kind of work was like finding gold, Antonio is thrilled at the rare job given to him to ride around Rome putting up movie posters. There is a catch though, he needs to provide his own bike to do so. After much deliberation and despair, he and his wife decide to sell their entire stock of bed linen to pay for a bike. Antonio is eager to get right to work and does so, but on his first day of work has his bike stolen. Antonio and his young son drop everything to venture on a desperate odyssey to find the man who stole his bike.

This film is not only a transparent window into the world during that time, but reveals a divide between the rich and the poor. The following clip shows Antonio and Bruno eating in a modest restaurant, and the societal divide between them and the others there. This film shows poverty's sting, and the moral collapse of man just trying to make it in a harsh world. Worth a watch!