Released: November 1948.

Directed by: Vittorio De Sica

Cast: Lamberto Maggiorani, Enzo Staiola, Lianella Carell, Elena Altieri, Gino Saltamerenda, Giulio Chiari, Vittorio Antonucci, Michele Sakara, Carlo Jachino as A Beggar.

Few films are so simple, yet so profound, honest, emotional, and 76 years after its original release, so brutally relevant today. Bicycle Thieves is that movie.

The story is simple, Antonio Ricci (LamBerto Maggiorani) is an unemployed man with a wife and two small children. Antonio gets a job, but the job requires him to have a bicycle. His bike is in hock. So, Antonio’s wife (Lianella Carell) pawns their bed sheets for the money to retrieve the bike.

The job is enjoyable, simple, outdoor work. Hanging posters of Rita Hayworth all across the city. Armed with a ladder on his shoulder, a bucket of glue hanging off the handlebar, posters secured behind the seat, and a sandwich in his pocket, Antonio sets off on his first day of work. Before the day is over, Antonio’s bicycle is stolen.

The bicycle is Antonio’s lifeline, his hope for a secure future. The job, though not well paying, is enough for Antonio. There are monthly benefits that will help him as well. He is not looking for fancy sports cars, or a country estate in Tuscany. Antonio just wants to be happy, provide for his family, secure that he has enough money, and not have to worry.

During Antonio’s search, with the help of his young son Bruno (Enzo Staiola). He encounters people who are willing to help but don’t have the resources or the time. The police, with the resources, would like to help, but without more details, suggest Antonio file a report. Then there are people who might know something, but for whatever reason don’t want any part of Antonio.

The lack of a simple bicycle, in a city filled with bicycles, becomes a mountain in the path of Antonio’s dream for a happy, meaningful life for himself and his family.

In 2024, this is the reality of so many, in what is supposed to be a civilized world. People resort to desperate, uncharacteristic acts, that only make things worse.

When Antonio’s bike is stolen, three people come to his aid. Antonio, out of desperation, steals a bike, he is pounced upon by a bloodthirsty mob. When he confronts the alleged thief (Vittorio Antonucci), the community protects the alleged criminal. Antonio ultimately is alone.

Little has changed. The people who need help the most have no support. And what support there is, is shamefully little. As I watched Bicycle Thieves, it became more and more personal. The individuals who are the most vulnerable aren’t looking for a life of luxury. Just security and happiness, and the people who have the power to help, won’t. And the people who want to help don’t have the resources.

When Antonio and Bruno become separated, Antonio hears cries that a boy is drowning. Naturally, Antonio is alarmed, but quickly discovers Bruno is safe. However, the help for the drowning boy is substantial, and he’s saved. Unless the situation is the direst, life threatening of circumstances, there is no rescue. Today, you can’t even count on that.

My analysis of Bicycle Thieves might sound like a rant, and perhaps it is. But I’m living Bruno’s life. Little hope, selfish/corrupt government, simple needs, and no resources. In the film’s circumstance, Antonio is in a country that was financially destroyed by war, leaving so many people suffering, and struggling. These days, it’s homelessness, people with disabilities. The common factor is that no one, in the film or in real life, asked for what happened to them.

Bicycle Thieves, the film, can be taken seriously, however. Described a neo-realist, it portrays the real struggles of the Italian people after World War Two. One story of thousands, and it still rings true.

Something so simple, so basic, yet so completely unattainable.

Bicycle Thieves is a film of rare power and can be streamed on the Criterion Channel.