Bicycle Thieves
From the 1940s to 1970s, Vittorio De Sica secured his place in the pantheon of Italian filmmakers. s one of the pioneers of neorealism, he created some of the movement’s most emblematic works. Yet, he also managed to break away from it, embracing new genres in the following decades, adapting the great authors of his time, riding on the popularity of sketch film, excelling in both comedy and drama, and offering his actors some of their finest roles, led by Sophia Loren. A master of on-screen emotion, De Sica always portrayed Italian society with both clarity and deep humanity. In addition to his career as a filmmaker, he was also a prolific actor, a facet of his work showcased in two standout performances in this retrospective.
Winner of the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 1950
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An jobless man gets a job for which he needs a bicycle. But it is immediately stolen and he goes around Rome looking for the thief. Desperate, he thinks about stealing it himself. The film's masterful depiction of urban reality, the emotional depth of its characters and situations, and its clear-eyed portrayal of post-war struggles make it a masterpiece of neorealism.
Vittorio De Sica
Vittorio De Sica is an Italian film and theater director, screenwriter, and actor. He is a leading figure in the neorealist movement, and the Italian-style comedy genre. Widely considered one of the most influential filmmakers in the history of cinema, he won the Palme d'or for Miracle in Milan at the 1951 Cannes Film Festival, as well as the Golden Bear for The Garden of the Finzi-Continis at the 1971 Berlin International Film Festival. Four of the films he directed won Academy Awards: Sciuscià (1946) and Bicycle Thieves (1948) got an Honorary Award, while Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow (1963) and The Garden of the Finzi-Continis won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.
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