Even knowing that “The Bicylce Thief” (1948) is regarded as one of the best films of all time, I wasn't able to get through it the first time I tried to watch it about five years ago. Maybe my tastes have changed or I’ve become more patient, but on the second try I found it to be thoroughly engrossing. Not having seen it through to the end the first time I didn’t realize the ambiguous title (also known as Bicycle Thieves) not only refers to the thief who steals Antonio’s bicycle in the beginning but also to Antonio himself who resorts to stealing someone elses bicycle at the end of the film. His anger at the thieves suddenly turns to understanding as he is put into a desperate situation. I suppose the poor are more likely to steal from the poor because its easier than stealing from the rich. There were a few other things that I noticed on a second viewing. The posters Antonio is hired to paste up are of Rita Hayworth in “Gilda”, an ironic contrast between the decadence of Hollywood and the harsh reality of post-war Italy. And I also like the tension that director Vittorio de Sica builds the first time Antonio leaves his bicycle unattended. We know from the title of the film that his bike will be stolen. Antonio returns and the bicycle is still there and it’s very unexpected later in the film when his bicycle is stolen out from under his nose as he is working.
It’s a heart-wrenching film and bleak film. I wonder how it was perceived by American audiences in 1948, who were probably used to the glamorous Hollywood happy endings.
For some reason, the theme of bicycle theft has been a popular one in films all over the world.
“Beijing Bicycle” (China), “Cyclo” (Vietnam), and even Tim Burton’s “Pee Wee’s Big Adventure” are all somewhat inspired by The Bicycle Thief.
I’ve even seen it used a couple of times in comedy. A recent episode of ABC’s sitcom “Modern Family” was called “The Bicycle Thief” in which a father tries to teach his irresponsible son a lesson by stealing his new bike, only to find out that it wasn’t his son’s bike at all but that of another kid.
Mike Leigh’s 2008 “Happy Go Lucky” begins with a scene where the irrepressively cheery Poppy browses in a book store only to come out and find that her bicycle has been stolen. And instead of that incident driving the rest of the plot, her zen-like attitude calmly dismisses it as she remarks “I didn’t even get a chance to say goodbye” and then goes about the rest of her day as if it doesn’t matter. It’s a pretty good joke if you know the influence The Bicycle Thief has had on modern cinema.
I just wonder why the bicycle motif appears again and again. I guess its a very universal symbol. I suppose it might have different connotations in American culture. We typically see it as a luxury item used only for sports or recreation, while for the rest of the world it’s a primary means of transportation and therefore carries more significance. I suppose if someone made an American version of “The Bicycle Thief” it would be an SUV or minivan that was stolen. Or maybe an iPhone.
I saw BT about 7 years ago with a boyfriend. We sort of scratched our heads afterward. Not cause of lice or anything. We just didn't get it. We talked about it for about 10 minutes. We came up with nothing. About 3 weeks later while discussing something else entirely I said, "sort of like The Bicycle Thief actually" and in that moment the *entire* movie made sense. It was as if the movie had to sit in our brains for 3 weeks until the rest of the stuff in our minds shifted around to make room for it in order for us to get it.
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