As I think about this film I find more and more that it is indeed a story of father and son. The dynamic of their relationship and how it changes is directly in effect with the actions of Antonio Ricci (Lamberto Maggiorani). Little Bruno (Enzo Staiola) follows his father all around during his search for his stolen bicycle, which is never found. There are many things I have realized that deepen my understanding of a father/son dynamic duo. Bruno watches his father go from being a cheerful and caring parent to throwing away his morals in desperation.
As discussed this film definitely highlights the Marxism that the filmmakers carried with them. During the final sequence when tension builds in the music, bicycles are all around him; but they are not his. The thing he wants the most in the world at that moment, the thing that will help him potentially exit his poverty-stricken life is all around him, yet unreachable. This exposure leads him to impulsively act and steal a bicycle which makes us think about how the poor get poorer and the rich get richer.
Ladri Di Biciclette is as Vitorrio De Sica would say is "the poetry of everyday life" but it is most definitely no the poetry one wants to hear. It has a sad ending; an ending in which we return to the beginning of the film; an unemployed man with a wife and a son. And because this seems like a film not only about parenthood but also about Bruno's coming of age I can only question how Bruno will be in the future. Again, we learn mostly by imitation, our role models and our parents are the first people we follow. How might we expect Bruno to be in the future when he was forced to become a man for his father in light of the unfair consequences of society?
I think it's interesting to consider the teacher's line from "The 400 Blows" when he asks disappointedly where France will be in 10 years and then apply it to Italy and this film. As you mention, Bruno learns from following his father around during the search for the stolen bicycle, and this is when he realizes the lengths people in extreme poverty have to go to just to stay afloat. "The Bicycle Thieves" ends on a somber note, suggesting that in 10 years things won't be much better for people like Bruno and Antonio.
ReplyDeleteI feel like Bruno is a smart kid and will learn from his father's mistakes. He knows his dad is not a bad guy and understands why he did what he did. I hope Bruno would retain this thought: his dad was just trying to make life better for his family, but life was not being fair for them.
ReplyDeleteI think your point that the film ends in a similar state as the beginning of the film is a really important one. To me, it emphasizes the cycle of poverty, and the struggles that Bruno will face when he becomes an adult or a father.
ReplyDeleteI really like the question you posed at the end I too feel that Bruno was forced to grow up fast because of his family's societal status. I feel like he was forced into the position of comforting his father when parents are the ones who are supposed to be the ones comforting their kids.
ReplyDeleteI do find something poetic in the father's refusal to give up and to keep trying to do the necessary things to provide for his family. Even though this is not a beautiful story, I do find beauty in that aspect. In fact, it reminded me fondly of my own dad.
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