Bicycle Thieves (1948)

 

Bicycle Thieves (1948)

Bicycle Thieves is an Italian neo-realistic novel drama film which directed by Vittorio De Sica. This film was produced in 1948. This film is about the life of an Italian. During the hard years of poverty in post-World-War-II Rome, Antonio, a poor working-class man of a wife and a little son, is finally offered a modest job as a bill-poster with his own bicycle; a bicycle like the one Antonio was already forced to pawn. As a result, his wife, Maria, pawns the family's bed linen to redeem their bicycle, unfortunately, however, on Antonio's first day of work, the prized possession is stolen. Desperate, the ill-fated father and his boy, Bruno, will scour Rome's bustling streets on a gloomy Sunday to find the vital bicycle, but undoubtedly, this is an impossible task. Will Antonio ever get his job back?

Italian Neorealism

 The term Neorealismo, which directly translates to “new reality” or “new realism,” sprouted in the wake of World War II in Italy. Neorealismo signified a trend in art and film that aimed to provide insight into the contemporary Italian society of the 1940’s. The films associated with Italian Neorealism are focused on showing Italy removed from Fascist influence. For example, This film is mostly concerned with the lives of working-class people. The film depicts Antonio's struggle to keep his job.

Forms and Style

The form and style of this neo-realistic film are unique. Most of the scenes in the film, for example, were shot in Florida. For instance, young people stole Antonio's bicycle, and both Vittorio Plaza market and stolen bicycles were found in Porta Portese market. The state of Italian culture in the 1940s is clearly illustrated in these portraits. Poor working standards and a heavy crime rate.

Modernism

Modernism is a style and form that distinguishes the film as a uniquely modern phenomenon and one of modernity's cornerstones (Stelmach, 2016, para. 2). Modernist filmmakers aimed to be more true to life than most classical filmmakers, according to them. They try to bring about the horrors of fascism, war, and occupation by exposing the unpleasant reality of class antagonism. The most obvious examples among Italian neorealist are street shooting and a focus on current social issues.

 Furthermore, open narratives with an unresolved central plotline are preferred in modernist films. The long take with the abnormally long shot sustained by camera movements, halting delivery, fragmentary and elliptical speeches, and refusal to meet the other characters' eye are all techniques used in the Modernist film.

 The scene in the film Bicycle Thieves where Ricci and the driver stop a man riding a bicycle in the tunnel to determine whether or not he is the bicycle thief is an example of modernism. The use of a long take in this scene exemplifies the modernist film's characteristic of shooting a real street scene in Italy.

Conclusion

From a viewer perspective, this is an interesting Italian film. The story plot of the film is good as the life of the protagonist bring many feelings to me. Overall, this movie has also used good shot and well-performances by the actors.

Reference

https://www.studiobinder.com/blog/what-is-italian-neorealism-in-film/

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0040522/plotsummary?ref_=tt_stry_pl

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bicycle_Thieves

Citizen Dog (2004) Film Review

 Citizen Dog (2004)

Citizen dog is a Thai romance and fantasy film which is produced in 2004. This film is directed and written by Wisit Sasanatieng. The main cast of this film are Mahasamut Boonyaruk as Pod, Saengthong Gate-Uthong as Jin, Sawatwong Palakawong Na Autthaya as Yod, Chuck Stephens as Peter or Andre and Pen-Ek Ratanaruang as the Narrator.

Story Plot Summary

This is a story about the life of Pod. He goes to the city to look for work, oblivious to his grandmother's warning that if he doesn't find work soon, he'll grow a tail. He first works in a sardine cannery, where he drops a tooth, only to reclaim it. He then works as an office security guard and encounters a maid, Jin, an introverted girl who cleans obsessively and reads a cryptic white book that she doesn't understand. Jin attracts Pod, a guy with no wishes. To assist her, he switches jobs again, this time to a taxi driver. Pod, on the other hand, would have to make way for Jin's other obsessive tendencies.

French Impressionism

The term "French Impressionist Cinema" refers to an avant-garde film movement in France that lasted from 1918 to 1929. It was distinguished by camera and editing techniques that enhanced the image's elegance while also evoking the characters' psychological states. Impressionist filmmakers saw cinema as an art form in and of itself, rather than just a tool for capturing plays and novels. They concluded that art does not try to simply articulate realities, but rather construct an atmosphere that evokes feelings that lead viewers to underlying realities. For example, there is a scene when Pod is standing outside of his house and looking at his parents. From here, you can see that the background and the objects shown are not reality but similar to the art and painting.

 

German Impressionism

German Expressionism is a form of art that first emerged in poetry and theatre in the year 1910. After WWI, it became famous in film ten years later. It is influenced by German Romanticism and offers a subjective perspective on life. It uses warped and nightmare imagery to depict the country's collective fear. Expressionists were unconcerned with their work's artistic appeal. Following the horrors of WWI and the imminent economic devastation that resulted, this style flourished. For example, there is a scene when the passenger of Pod is licking everything around the house. This scene had used high angle to show what is happening in the house. This high angle shot also help to increase curiosity and bring uncomfortable feeling to the audience.

 

Surrealism

Andre Breton established Surrealism in 1924, and his book The Surrealist Manifesto summarized the movement's principles. Surrealism has come to be recognized as a technique as well as an art form through the years. Surrealism is a practice that uses the juxtaposition of symbols, images, and acts to construct a world that exists outside of reality, or super-reality. For example, there is a scene when a teddy bear is talking with Pod in the taxi. The teddy bear has a major smoking problem, and even the taxi smokers boycotting the Pod can't help themselves. And, after getting dumped by the manager, he goes to the bar to drink whiskey to forget about his misery. This scene exemplifies surrealism's features. It's as gentle as a teddy bear, but it's not gentle. It will not behave normally and will express the affection between the teddy bear and its owner.

Conclusion

From a viewer perspective, this film is quite interesting. The editing and element used in this film are extraordinary and bring a lot of curiosity to me. Besides, many feelings of mine are also brought out from this film. Every character in this film is well shown with their unique characteristic. Overall, this film is good to watch.

 

Reference

https://www.studiobinder.com/blog/german-expressionism-film/

https://www.rem.routledge.com/articles/french-impressionist-cinema

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0444778/