Original poster artwork · Great Cinema Master ListBAFTA · 1
Spoiler-free premise
A working-class father and his young son search Rome for the bicycle he needs to keep his new job.
Read expanded premiseLonger, still spoiler-free+
Unemployed Roman father Antonio Ricci finally finds work posting bills, but the job requires a bicycle. When it is stolen on his first day, Antonio and young son Bruno search markets, streets, churches, and neighborhoods for the thief.
Why it belongs
De Sica grounds the citywide ethical crisis surrounding one stolen bicycle in nonprofessional performances, Roman locations, and a child’s watchful presence.
Read expanded why it belongsThe fuller editorial case+
Crowds, rain, markets, tramlines, pawnshops, and long city walks give poverty physical scale, while Lamberto Maggiorani's mounting desperation is continually measured against Enzo Staiola's observant Bruno.
