Movie Meme: Day 14

"31 Day Movie Meme"


Day 14 | Favorite film in black and white

During senior year of college, I took an Italian Cinema course and while the people in the class and the professor were ultimately useless, it was wonderful being exposed to so many Italian films I wouldn't have seen myself such as 8 1/2, L'Avventura, Mamma Roma, etc. One film that still haunts me is Ladri di Biciclette or The Bicycle Thief*.

This timeless 1948 film is by Vittoria De Sica and is a classic neorealist film. The film revolves around a father who is trying to provide for his family and the only way to do that is by doing a job that requires him to own a bicycle. After his bicycle is stolen, we follow him and his young son around Rome in their desperate search. The plot is relatively simple, but the emotional impact transcends the time and place the movie is set. With the way the economy is right now and many families struggling to make it, this movie is still very much relevant and just as difficult to watch as ever.

*The real translation of the Italian title is Bicycle Thieves and more and more this is being used as the official translated title. But I first saw the film, and thus have grown quite attached, with the incorrect translation so I prefer to still use it. Plus I actually think it's a more effective and elegant title based on what happens in the film.