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The Bicycle Thief (1949)

Lamberto Maggiorani , Enzo Staiola , Vittorio De Sica  |  Unrated |  DVD
4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (147 customer reviews)

List Price: $24.99
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Bicycle Thief (subtitled)   $2.99 $9.99

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The Bicycle Thief + Cinema Paradiso + Life Is Beautiful
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Product Details

  • Actors: Lamberto Maggiorani, Enzo Staiola, Lianella Carell, Gino Saltamerenda, Vittorio Antonucci
  • Directors: Vittorio De Sica
  • Writers: Vittorio De Sica, Adolfo Franci, Cesare Zavattini, Gerardo Guerrieri, Luigi Bartolini
  • Format: Black & White, NTSC
  • Language: English (Dolby Digital 1.0), Italian (Dolby Digital 1.0)
  • Subtitles: English
  • Region: All Regions
  • Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
  • Number of discs: 1
  • Rated: Unrated
  • Studio: Image Entertainment
  • DVD Release Date: November 24, 1998
  • Run Time: 93 minutes
  • Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (147 customer reviews)
  • ASIN: 6305081034
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #19,330 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
  • Learn more about "The Bicycle Thief" on IMDb

Special Features

None.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Vittorio De Sica's remarkable 1947 drama of desperation and survival in Italy's devastating post-war depression earned a special Oscar for its affecting power. Shot in the streets and alleys of Rome, De Sica uses the real-life environment of contemporary life to frame his moving drama of a desperate father whose new job delivering cinema posters is threatened when a street thief steals his bicycle. Too poor to buy another, he and his son take to the streets in an impossible search for his bike. Cast with nonactors and filled with the real street life of Rome, this landmark film helped define the Italian neorealist approach with its mix of real life details, poetic imagery, and warm sentimentality. De Sica uses the wandering pair to witness the lives of everyday folks, but ultimately he paints a quiet, poignant portrait of father and son, played by nonprofessionals Lamberto Maggiorani and Enzo Staiola, whose understated performances carry the heart of the film. De Sica and scenarist Cesare Zavattini also collaborated on Shoeshine, Miracle in Milan, and Umberto D, all classics in the neorealist vein, but none of which approach the simple poetry and quiet power achieved in The Bicycle Thief. --Sean Axmaker

Product Description

A beautiful, simple story of a man in post-war Rome who needs his bicycle in order to work at his job. No sooner does he retrieve it from pawn, then it is stolen. The heartwrenching search teaches the man and his son much about the meaning of life and just how far we will go when pushed to the edge. Winner of a special Academy Award.

Customer Reviews

This film is beautifully crafted and Directed. James Centeno  |  26 reviewers made a similar statement
One thing I really liked about this film is the texture. Andrew Ellington  |  16 reviewers made a similar statement
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
171 of 177 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars A milestone that still holds up 50 years later May 30, 2000
Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase
I first saw this movie as a student decades ago, and now seeing it all these years later on DVD, I'm amazed how well it holds up. It's a lesson in what can be done on the screen with so little; there's no budget here, largely amateur actors and a very simple plot. It's about an unemployed man, who gets a job offer that requires a bike, the sacrifice his family must make to get his bike out of hock, and what happens when the bike is stolen on the job. It's successful because I think the writers and director focus on some universal truths--about human nature, love, pride, survival and--yes--family values. It's disheartening to read some reviews that say: "I was bored," "It wasn't entertaining enough," or "Enough with the black & white." It's also disheartening to see reviews from people with no concept of this film's historical context. The poverty of post-WWII Europe produced a revolution in cinema, and this movie was one that redefined the medium's possibilities. I can't imagine someone not being moved by the dilemma faced by the lead character in this film. I do regret that this movie has not gotten a full "Criterion Collection" restoration, and I would have liked more "extras" on the DVD--like background information on the time the director and the Italian neo-realist movement. BTW, the more accurate translation of the Italian title is "Bicycle Thieves," which (after you see the movie) you must agree is more appropriate.
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70 of 72 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars There's a cure for everything ... except death February 14, 2007
Format:DVD
(This review is for the Criterion Collection release of this dvd -- not for the Image Entertainment release that many other reviews here refer to.)

"Bicycle Thieves" (as it is wisely retranslated from the Italian for this new Criterion release) is one of the few "perfect films" -- by which I mean a film that is in its own way just as it should be, lacking nothing, the kind of film where even apparent missteps tend to contribute indelibly to the overall impression of a film in which nothing could have been changed without damaging the film. Take, for example, the scenario that instead of an unknown day laborer in the role of Antonio, de Sica had gone with David Selznick's suggestion of Cary Grant (which was a condition for the film getting funded through American studios). I have no doubt that this would have remained an interesting film, and that Grant would have done an admirable job -- but it would have been a totally different film and would have lost the fragility and vulnerability and delicacy (combined with hardness and objectivity) that make this film so precious. We can all be grateful that De Sica chose to wait for an Italian investor who allowed him to make the film the way he and Zappatini had planned.

Without giving away anything of the plot, I will say that the conclusion of the film is one of the most powerful I have seen -- and carries an emotional weight that is earned rather than manipulated, and that can be compared only to a very few films: Chaplin's City Lights and Kiarostami's Close-up are the only films that come to mind.
... Read more ›
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100 of 109 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars Thief of hearts June 1, 2000
Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase
A classic of world cinema, "The Bicycle Thief" deals with postwar Italian circumstances with searing impact. Some of the elements may remind you of "It's A Wonderful Life," but let's just say: Frank Capra it ain't! This work is uncompromising, and, as famed playwright Arthur Miller put it, "remorseless." It's a wake-up call, effectively arguing that good, sound minded people can be morally destroyed by obsession and despondency; that what is of no consequence to many is vital to some. Don't jump into buying this movie on the opinions of those who love it; it's not for everyone's taste. Rent it first. If you're looking for "entertainment," look elsewhere. But if you value artistically fine movies that address harsh realities, you will be bowled over by this poignant, involving look into one man's snowballing desperation. This film is a friend for life if you appreciate it!

This DVD version of an important film is terrible. Image Entertainment usually makes good digital transfers, and this disc is no exception. But the cause of my gripe isn't the transfer, it's the print used. The copy that Image offers on this DVD is in DESPERATE need of restoration. There are all manner of imperfections in this print -- blotches, streaks, jumps (sometimes for several frames!), scratches, etc. This makes for a visual and audio shadow of a great movie. As if this weren't bad enough, the subtitles are poor. Too many words are left out in the translation, and the subtitles sometimes come late in relation to the dialogue. On the other side of the ledger, the English dub is excellently done (except for a brief section late in the film, seemingly due to the print)....

Since there are no special features to speak of on the DVD, I'll share some facts about this film that aren't included on the disc. David O. Selznick (producer of "Gone With The Wind") is reported to have offered backing to "The Bicycle Thief," on condition that Carey Grant play the father. The star, Lamberto Maggiorani, was actually a steel factory worker. When he was done with the film, he went back to work at the factory. There he became somewhat unpopular with his co-workers, who were apparently envious of his newfound fame and fortune. Soon thereafter, he found himself unemployed. The little boy, played by Enzo Staiola, was discovered in a crowd watching work on the movie. Read more ›

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Most Recent Customer Reviews
3.0 out of 5 stars Good movie, bad service from Amazon!
Liked the movie. Something is WRONG with Amazon billing though. Don't let the cost of $3 rental price for a movie fool you. I was actually charged $12 for this film. Read more
Published 6 hours ago by DeeDeen
5.0 out of 5 stars 4 stars as a film, 5 stars for how this film changed cinema forever~
It took a special director to shake the Academy Awards voting panel awake and make them take notice of great foreign films. Read more
Published 12 days ago by Christopher Barrett
5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best movies
One of the best movies ever. Deep stuff. Multi faceted. Gets into the essence of struggle. Buy it. Buy it today.
Published 1 month ago by Rudini
1.0 out of 5 stars THE MOVIE IS GREAT, BUT NONE OF THE FORMATS WILL PLAY!
Great film, one of my favorites. Still have not been able to watch it though, since the format is not suitable on any PS3,PC,DVD player sold in the United States. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Anderson DeGazon
3.0 out of 5 stars Frustrating -
This is a post-WWII story of a poor father searching about Rome for his stolen bicycle, without which he will lose a just-acquired job, after over a year of searching. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Loyd E. Eskildson
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Film
This film is a piece of art. I would recommend it to any film buffs or students of film and film history. Read more
Published 5 months ago by Veddy
5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant- How Far Would You Go ?
The Bicycle Thief is brilliant in it's very simplicity. Filmed in post-war Rome , this italian B+W film explores the limits of poverty and desperation by using a simple story of a... Read more
Published 7 months ago by R. J. Marsella
3.0 out of 5 stars Neat little film.
I saw this at an old editing suite where I interned for the summer. I'm not sure what to say about it, other than we glimpse a man who is the victim of crime, and, as such, nearly... Read more
Published 10 months ago by Raisuli the Magnificent
3.0 out of 5 stars Great acting but
It drives me crazy that in a situation in which your family's survival is at stake, that this father didn't steal a bike within minutes of having his own stolen. Read more
Published 12 months ago by Mitch
5.0 out of 5 stars Everyone should see this movie (my first ever movie review)
The main body of this film follows a man, Ricci, as he is searching for his stolen bicycle in the city of Rome. He does not live in the city. Read more
Published 12 months ago by jwardjazz1
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