Bicycle Thieves

Arguably the best-known masterpiece of Italian neorealism, Bicycle Thieves is virtually synonymous with that celebrated post-World War II genre of Italian cinema. All of the identifiable trademarks are on glorious display in this 1948 classic by Vittorio De Sica: from the use of non-professional actors plucked from the streets of Rome to the stylistically straightforward approach to location shooting. The story could not be simpler: In poverty-stricken Rome, a desperate father (Lamberto Maggiorani) watches helplessly as his bicycle is stolen during his first day on a new job, embarking on a search with his young son (Enzo Staiola) that turns out to be a futile quest. As written by celebrated neorealist screenwriter Cesare Zavattini, this spare, heartbreaking film earned an honorary Academy Award (as "the most outstanding foreign language film released in the U.S. during 1949"—before the Foreign Film category was introduced), and went on to win many major awards at film festivals around the world. The Criterion Collection's new two-disc edition of Bicycle Thieves features a fully restored high-definition digital transfer with new and improved English subtitles. DVD extras include “Life as It Is: The Neorealist Movement in Italy,” a useful primer on the subject of postwar Italian cinema and the sociopolitical conditions that gave rise to neorealism; a “Working with De Sica” featurette featuring interviews with several of De Sica's surviving collaborators; a 2003 featurette—made for Italian television—on the life, career, and influence of Zavattini, perhaps even more important than De Sica for his role in shaping the neorealist movement; and an excellent 78-page booklet featuring a variety of critical perspectives on Bicycle Thieves, including new essays by critic Godfrey Cheshire and filmmaker Charles Burnett, reminiscences by De Sica and his collaborators, and classic writings by Zavattini and influential French critic André Bazin. Highly recommended. Editor's Choice. (J. Shannon)[Blu-ray Review—Apr. 5, 2016—Criterion, 89 min., not rated, Blu-ray: $39.95—Making its first appearance on Blu-ray, 1948's Bicycle Thieves features a great transfer and an uncompressed monaural soundtrack. Extras include a 2003 documentary on screenwriter Cesare Zavattini (56 min.), a “Life As It Is” program on the history of Italian realism with film scholar Mark Shiel (40 min.), cast and crew interviews on “Working with De Sica” (23 min.), and a booklet featuring an essay by critic Godfrey Cheshire and reminiscences by director De Sica and his collaborators. Bottom line: a neorealist classic makes a welcome debut on Blu-ray]