Bicycle Thieves
A 1948 Italian neorealist drama directed by Vittorio De Sica.
Bicycle Thieves (Italian: Ladri di biciclette), also known as The Bicycle Thief, is a 1948 Italian neorealist drama film directed by Vittorio De Sica. It follows the story of a poor father searching in post-World War II Rome for his stolen bicycle, without which he will lose the job which was to be the salvation of his young family. Adapted for the screen by Cesare Zavattini from the 1946 novel by Luigi Bartolini, the film stars Lamberto Maggiorani as the desperate father and Enzo Staiola as his plucky young son. It received an Academy Honorary Award (most outstanding foreign language film) in 1950, and in 1952 was ranked 7th in Sight & Sound magazine's first critics' poll, later ranking 4th in the 1962 poll.
- field
- Film
- nationality
- Italian
- known_for
- Italian neorealist drama about a father searching for his stolen bicycle
- release_year
- 1948
- director
- Vittorio De Sica
- screenwriter
- Cesare Zavattini
- source_novel_author
- Luigi Bartolini
Verified Timeline
Lore & Background
Bicycle Thieves is the best-known work of Italian neorealism, a movement that informally began with Roberto Rossellini's Rome, Open City (1945). De Sica had just made Shoeshine (1946), but was unable to get financial backing from any major studio for the film, so he raised the money himself from friends. Wanting to portray the poverty and unemployment of post-war Italy, he co-wrote a script with Cesare Zavattini and others using only the title and few plot devices of a little-known novel of the time by poet and artist Luigi Bartolini. Following the precepts of neorealism, De Sica shot only on location (that is, no studio sets) and cast only untrained actors. Lamberto Maggiorani, for example, was a factory worker. De Sica cast Maggiorani when he had brought his young son to an audition for the film. He later cast the 8-year-old Enzo Staiola when he noticed the young boy watching the film's production on a street while helping his father sell flowers. The film's final shot of Antonio and Bruno walking away from the camera into the distance is an homage to many of the films of Charlie Chaplin, who was De Sica's favourite filmmaker.
Reader's Guide
Bicycle Thieves received an Academy Honorary Award (most outstanding foreign language film) in 1950, and in 1952 was deemed the greatest film of all time by Sight & Sound magazine's poll of filmmakers and critics; fifty years later another poll organized by the same magazine ranked it sixth among the greatest-ever films. In the 2012 version of the list the film ranked 33rd among critics and 10th among directors. The film was also cited by Turner Classic Movies as one of the most influential films in cinema history, and it is considered part of the canon of classic cinema. The film was voted number 3 on the prestigious Brussels 12 list at the 1958 World Expo, and number 4 in Empire magazine's 'The 100 Best Films of World Cinema' in 2010. It was also included on the Italian Ministry of Cultural Heritage’s 100 Italian films to be saved, a list of 100 films that 'have changed the collective memory of the country between 1942 and 1978.'
Did You Know?
- The original Italian title Ladri di biciclette literally translates as 'thieves of bicycles'—both words are plural.
- De Sica cast Lamberto Maggiorani, a factory worker, after Maggiorani brought his young son to an audition for the film.
- Enzo Staiola, who played Bruno, was 8 years old and was spotted by De Sica while helping his father sell flowers on the street.
- The film's final shot of Antonio and Bruno walking away is an homage to Charlie Chaplin, De Sica's favourite filmmaker.
- When the film was released in Italy, it was viewed with hostility for portraying Italians in a negative way.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Bicycle Thieves?
Bicycle Thieves is a 1948 Italian neorealist drama that follows a struggling father in post-war Rome as he desperately searches for his stolen bicycle, the one tool keeping his job and his family's survival intact.
Who directed Bicycle Thieves and who wrote the screenplay?
Vittorio De Sica directed the film, and Cesare Zavattini wrote the screen adaptation based on Luigi Bartolini's 1946 novel.
What is the plot of Bicycle Thieves?
A poor father in post-World War II Rome must find his stolen bicycle within days or lose the job that would save his household from hunger. He searches the city streets alongside his young son, and the ordeal tests their bond and his dignity.
Why is Bicycle Thieves considered a landmark in film history?
It is often cited as a cornerstone of Italian neorealism, a movement that favored real locations, non-professional performers, and stories drawn from ordinary working-class life. The film was also recognized with an Academy Honorary Award as an outstanding foreign-language picture.
Who plays the father and son in Bicycle Thieves?
Lamberto Maggiorani portrays the desperate father, while Enzo Staiola plays his plucky young son who shadows him through the city's crowded streets during the search.
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