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Am I the only person that didn't think it was too great?

posted 18 years ago by AnUnknownPleasure
87 replies | jump to latest

I found that the film had a powerful message, and I was actually deeply saddened by the ending, but I honestly think the film was extremely drawn out; and thats saying a lot for a 90 minute film.

I felt that a lot of the scenes were just trying to paint the portrait of the promise of hapiness that was robbed from this man, but it did so in a completely arduous way.

I think it might be more powerful if it was shorter/more cohesive.

I would probably give it around a 7.8. Not top 10 material by far.

Thoughts?

[–] JWDavisIII 17 years ago

You are completely missing the point, De Sica would deny ever trying to "paint" anything with his scenes. Such ways of directing the audiences attention, as found in the Classical Hollywood Cinema of the time, were precisely what Italian neo-realist filmmakers were trying to avoid.

[–] martiangraverobber 17 years ago

Although DeSica was indeed telling a very simple story about real people, and without a "Hollywood ending", in terms of visuals he was indeed directing the audience's attention. The scene where the bicycle is stolen is filmed with six cameras! If DeSica weren't trying to "paint" this scene in a way that would direct the audience's attention, he would've just used one camera.

I appreciate this film for what it is, but personally I feel its overrated. It 's so revered by many great fimmakers that I expected more from it...but as Scorcese said its a film of "powerful simplicity".

[–] slickracer 17 years ago

I just saw it in my Film Class and was disappointed. I guess the downbeat ending is a trademark of the neorealist style. I'm not a fan of the style so far. The movie was full of dead-ends, wild goose chases, and failed investigations. Then at the end we're hit in the face with the irony that the main character himself has become a bicycle thief. The downbeat and inconclusive ending struck me as incredibly pretentious. I got the sort of feeling I get when I see critically-lauded paintings that are little more than streaks of paint arranged haphazardly on the canvas.

[–] LeofricsBeloved 17 years ago

My guess is the current generation just doesn't know what living in poverty is like. And really, the characters in the film were more working-class rather than living in dire poverty - but you get the point - socio-economic backgrounds explain what clicks inside of us.

What it's like to breathe, confront, and rage against poverty - when it is the only thing hovering over you and you become increasingly despondent and desperate.

When you are forced in live in humiliation without any dignity in a long period of time, it will stay with you for life. And this sense of injustice resonated among so many post-WWII, which is why The Bicycle Thieves had such a profound effect on people.

Do you know where I'm going? Anton Chigurh No Country for Old Men

[–] dpac_saml 16 years ago

Speaking of poverty. There is a shot in the film, where we can see a person depositing Antonios sheets in a room filled with hundreds of other sheets. Sort of gives us an idea of the trying times people were living in.

Also at the end, the movie made me empathize with the guy who stole the cycle from Antonio. It makes you wonder what his problems were and why he was forced to steal.

The character of Bruno was what I really loved about in this movie. He has been forced to grow up at an early age. He has to work so that he can provide the family with extra income. He is not a regular kid. This is beautifully illustrated in the scene where he slips and falls down during the rain. He just picks himself up and starts brushing the dirt off his clothes. He actually doesnt even mention this to his father, until he asks him.

[–] bbomberr 16 years ago

I thought it was a bit tragi-comic. A whole movie about a man searching his bike. But that simple matter made it beautiful also. And that little boy was adorable in his acting. "Why did u hit me? Because you deserved it"

[–] UCHoodman 16 years ago

I posted here a year ago and I just saw it again and I like it more, again not top 10 material, but it's wonderful. The truth is you just have to appreciate the powerful images and acting of Antoin and Bruno, it's very real and that's why it kind of hurts, heavens no do I think this belongs in people's greatest of the great. But it's certainly moving up on my list

[–] juska-lampela 16 years ago

Firstly, sorry for potential grammar errors, English is not my first language.

So far people on this thread have said that the flaws of Bicycle Thief are:

- boring
- too long
- acting was amateurish
- contrived

Whereas for me it was at the very least:

- entertaining
- influential
- thematic
- masterpiece

The premise of the movie is simple and that's why the plot works so masterfully in so many different levels. The movie doesn't force itself to move to important plot points, rather lingers at details. The man climbing on the shelf, the Germans covering themselves from the rain, a boy drowning under the bridge. None of these were essential to push the plot forward, but then again it is in no rush. Without those scenes Bicycle Thief wouldn't have as much personality nor would it be that identifiable.

I admit, the acting especially when it comes to extras, was a bit too much stereotypical Italian (high emotion and bad temper), but I have no complaints about the protagonist and his son. Their relationship is both distant yet close at the same time, which creates amazing, almost tangible chemistry between the actors.

The tip of the iceberg is how many themes such a simple plot could contain. Some of them are very obvious (survival, society and family), while others not so much.

Then there is one strong symbol in this movie, which is the title itself, The Bicycle Thief, also known as The Bicycle Thieves. There are more and worse bicycle thieves in this movie than just the protagonist or the antagonist. In the end it wasn't the youngster who stole Antonio's bicycle, nor was it Antonio who stole the bike at the very end of the movie. True bicycle thief was the Zeitgeist of Italy, in which bystanders saw only either a villain or a victim.

The Bicycle Thief is a timeless and masterful experience.

[–] Kid_Lukeboy 16 years ago

It was a powerful film, but there were other Italian films that left a deeper impression on me. Nights of Cabiria, for example.

[–] roller-roxie 16 years ago

Let's start by saying I'm no film critic! I didn't even realize this was a father-son story until after reading the comments in imdb! Then I cried when I realized that there were times when I was growing up that my own father struggled with the very same internal conflict.

Still loved the movie though. Mostly because it's everything Hollywood's not. And you gotta love that ending! The most real thing ever.

The only problem I had with the movie was on a technicality. I kept wondering that if not having a bike was such a problem (as it clearly was) then why didn't he pawn the rest of his meager possessions (the bed frame, the mattress, the table and chairs, etc.) to get himself another one (with which I'm sure he would have been much more careful)? Sure sleeping on the floor for a month would have been tough, and would be a blow to his pride, but I'm sure his family could have toughed it out for a while. Especially since having a job was such a rare and precious commodity.

But then again, maybe that's what he did do!

[–] jetdtw 16 years ago

thats what he might have done in the end,

[–] TheEnigmaticRonin 15 years ago

- Am I the only person that didn't think it was too great?

no you are not

" Look, there's two women fuc*ing a polar bear!" - Fear And Loathing in Las Vegas 1998

[–] wendyluhardy 15 years ago

I've heard about "The Bicycle Thief" for years, how great it was, what a masterpiece, etc. My girlfriend has about 1,000 movies and I recently quit my job and have 2 weeks to myself before starting school full-time. In order to kill time and save money I borrowed a bunch of DVDs from my friend, one of them being "The Bicycle Thief." I just finished watching it and--much to my disappointment--I didn't find it as magnificent as the reviews. I guess for that time and place (post-WWII Italy) it's good but I really didnt' think it was that great. Good acting by amateurs, a sad movie (I love "downers") but on a scale of 1 to 10, I'd give it a 7 at the most. It wasn't bad; just wasn't as good as I was expecting.