When Hollywood began to dominate the Italian film market after the First World War, Benito Mussolini saw the potential of cinema. When he came to power, his regime sought to “transform Italy into a new Hollywood”. As a result, he entered the Italian film industry and even started a film studio, Cincecittà. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay The films produced during his regime promoted his fascist ideology of conservative family values ​​and a rigid class hierarchy. Most films featured an art-deco set with a white telephone symbolizing upper-class opulence. During this period of the 1920s and 1930s, film critics thought that those films were not psychologically realistic nor did they reflect the Italy of the time. After the fall of the regime, critics wanted to reflect Italy's change from fascism on an international stage by showing more humanistic values ​​and realism, generating what is known as Italian neorealism. This cinematic movement has undoubtedly left a lasting imprint on the history of cinema. influencing many films and cinematic movements to come such as Hollywood film noir and the French New Wave. Post-war Italy found itself in depression and economic hardship but, "...most [of its] admired aspects arose from the dictates of post-war adversities", referring to the characteristics of neorealism. The 1948 film, Bicycle Thieves, directed by Vittorio De Sica, a leading figure of the neorealist movement, best exemplifies the cinematic traits of the movement. In the film, the cinematic elements add another layer to the story because it holds a mirror up to post-war Italy, full of unemployment, poor living conditions and instability of the social institutions of the time. One of the elements of neorealism's distinctive traits lie in its documentary aspect and cinematic style to emphasize neorealism's most basic ideal of authenticity to reflect on the climate of post-war Italy. Andre Bazin describes the quality of the documentary as something that "could not be removed from the script without eliminating the entire social context in which its roots are so deeply rooted." born from the chance fact that the Cincecittà film studios had been damaged during the war. In Bicycle Thieves, location shooting added authenticity to the world of the main character, Antonio Ricci. It conveys the idea that this story could very well be happening right now, holding up a mirror to what many citizens of that time were likely going through. In the opening sequence, the camera shows the vast and desolate backdrop of the residential complexes that the Ricci family, starkly contrasted with the crowded city in which Ricci and Bruno search for the bicycle. The house where the family lives is small, cramped and run down. There is a barbed fence surrounding the neighborhood's water supply. De Sica films all this in medium or long shots to show not only the background of the place but also to not give importance to these places; to normalize the situation, showing everyday life. Although color films were not widely used at the time, the black and white quality of the film only enriched the documentary, news style, but also added to and reflected the dark and depressing tone. of the film. The main cast of De Sica's film was also made up of non-professional actors, as in many neorealist films. Antonio Ricci played by Lamberto Maggiorani wasa factory worker at the time he was chosen. Bruno, the son, played by Enzo Staiola was cast on the spot and Maria Ricci was played by Lianella Carell, a journalist. De Sica chose the actors based on the mannerisms that he believed were best suited to what the characters themselves would feel. This style of realism presents a much more natural and authentic feel unlike decades of Hollywood glitz and glamour. This authenticity is ironically symbolized in the film when Ricci puts up posters of Rita Hayworth to make sure there are no wrinkles on the poster. This starkly juxtaposes the rather ordinary life that Antonio Ricci lives. Ordinary, simple everyday life is what makes up many neorealist stories. Bicycle Thieves is a simple story that follows a poor working class father in search of his stolen bicycle. As simple as the story is, it allows for a more emotional and real connection with the audience as people understand the position Ricci is in. The film came out during a time when the unemployment rate was said to have reached 22% in 1948, so Ricci's story was far from relatable. The plot is therefore a device to describe the desperation of a family and to humanize suffering in an era in which both were very important in the life of Italians, after the war. The way the film was structured allowed for a chronological telling of his day. , almost never skipping time. The chronological account of Ricci's day and also the creation of some shots of the film underline the long suffering he endured. This narrative structure is very different from other films of its time where causality is a major part of its narrative structure. The search for the bicycle is the entire film, but what the bicycle symbolizes gives the film an added layer of social commentary compared to neorealist films. own. The bicycle symbolizes hope and social mobility to move up in class for Ricci. As mentioned above, in a time of high unemployment, for Ricci receiving a job is of great importance to support him and his family. To get this job, a bicycle is needed that Ricci had already sold previously, which then leads Maria to sell their sheets. to retrieve the bicycle from the pawn shop. This is representative of a vicious cycle in Italy's failing economy of the time where "you have to be rich enough to own a bicycle to get the job that will provide the means to purchase the same vehicle on which the job is done." predicate.”The bicycle symbolizing social mobility is also emphasized in the scene where Ricci searches the flea market, where many other people in different ways earn a living by selling bicycles or bicycle parts. It is also shown when Ricci retrieves his bicycle from the pawn shop where it was hanging along with many other bicycles, which other people had to sell to survive. It is then that the bicycle represents the salvation for the survival not only of Ricci and his family but also of other citizens. Another central feature of neorealist films is their social criticism of the era. In addition to unemployment and living conditions, Bicycle Thieves also explores the class divide present at the time. Ricci's unemployment is deeply rooted in the lower class in which his family resides, but it is the consequences of the war that only affect the lower class. The middle class can enjoy simple activities like a full meal and a soccer game, while families like Ricci cannot. Use a simple staging such as not having a tablecloth at Ricci and Bruno's table compared to theirsricher counterparts, shows simple class differentiation. The scene ends with Ricci underlining the importance of finding the bicycle, further accentuating the weight of what recent history had done to the family. De Sica's film also explores the instability and almost distrust towards the social institutions of that time. In 1945, Italy was liberated from the fascist government that not only controlled but also lied to its people. A direct connection can therefore be drawn between the distrust of social institutions influenced by the fascist regime and the institutions depicted in the film. In Bicycle Thieves, institutions prove ineffective in improving conditions, particularly for the lower classes. They show an almost indifference towards the quality of life in which they live. An example of this would be the scene where Ricci reports his bicycle stolen to the police. The police captain he is talking to completely dismisses what is a grave loss for Ricci. He even goes so far as to say it's "Just a bicycle." A series of other files are also stacked on the captain's desk, apparently other unsolved cases like Ricci's. As already mentioned, the bicycle is a symbol for Ricci that represents survival for his family, but the police captain shows his indifference towards his suffering. In the scene where Ricci's pursuit of an old man who has been talking to a thief leads him to a church, the church is seen as the place where meals are exchanged for attendance at the service. The priests also cleaned the poor before entering the service where the poor are relegated to the back of the church. During the service, women dressed in richer clothes forced Ricci to remain silent and often gave him dirty looks. When Ricci hunts the man, to some extent the people of the church slow him down in pursuit. Using this sequence, De Sica emphasizes the church, another institution that shows indifference towards an “everyman” like Ricci. In another scene, Maria sells off her dowry papers so that Ricci can buy back his bicycle from the pawn shop. As she delivers her papers to the pawn shop, there is a literal and metaphorical partition separating her and the crowd from the pawn shop. In the next scene, the pawn shop climbs onto shelves full of papers, highlighting how many other families have had to do the same to survive. This cyclical nature that Ricci participates in to pawn something to repurchase a previously pawned item is reflected in the idea that he and other families of the time were part of a system of broken institutions that is of little or no help in helping the families to escape poverty. Another defining characteristic of neorealist films is the lack of story resolution. In the film's final moments, a distraught Ricci contemplates stealing a lone bicycle. The film uses a cross-cut between Ricci looking at the single bicycle, then his reaction, and then a shot of multiple bicycles parked outside the stadium. When he finally decides to steal the only bicycle, he is caught and a crowd of people chases him. him. This parallels the scene where Ricci himself has his bicycle stolen. When his bicycle was stolen, there were many people wandering the streets, but no one tried to help him. Yet, when this lone bicycle stops against a building on a deserted street, a crowd of people chases Ricci. This injustice to the main character contrasts sharply with the heroes who ultimately win in many Hollywood films. It reflects reality in such a way that not everyone wins and ultimately gets what they want. Sometimes things.