"I've been cursed since the day I was born!  I feel like a man in chains."

The Bicycle Thief won a special Academy Award in 1947 for its stark portrayal of post-World War II Italy.  Acclaimed as the epitome of Italian neorealism, the heart of the film is the bond between a father and son.  To assay this crucial relationship, director Vittorio De Sica cast two non-professionals.  Before-and after-playing the lead, Lamberto Maggiorani was a steel factory worker. Similarly, De Sica plucked his "son," Enzo Staiola, from a crowd of people watching production on the film.

Antonio Ricci (Maggiorani) is an out-of-work husband and father.  His fortunes seem to change when he is singled out from an unemployment line and given a job putting up posters.  The only hitch is that he needs a bicycle to perform the job.  His wife Maria (Lianella Carell) pawns their bed sheets to buy a bike, which is stolen on his first day of work.  The remainder of the film focuses on the plight of Antonio and Bruno (Staiola) as they search throughout Rome for the bicycle.

The film is a potent metaphor for postwar Italy.  Antonio turns to the traditional power structures-political leaders, the Church, and the police - looking for relief but finding none.  Eventually he consults with a self-styled soothsayer whose answer prompts him to take matters into his own hands.  In his frantic quest, Antonio nearly alienates his doting son.  But ultimately, their relationship is the factor that prevents him from the fate he deserves.  In the midst of hopelessness, a simple act of mercy proves to be a literal saving grace for Antonio.

essay by Thom Parham
panel discussion following the screening: Ron Austin, Phil Fehrle, Paul Wolff