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The Bicycle Thief
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Lamberto Maggiorani and Enzo Staiola as the father and son in Vittorio De Sica's The Bicycle Thief (1948), written by Cesare Zavattini. Lamberto Maggiorani stands beside Enzo Staiola, who sits on a bench, in a sunlit room with open windows in a scene from the film The Bicycle Thief (1948).
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The Bicycle Thief

film by De Sica [1948]
Also known as: “Ladri di biciclette”
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Lamberto Maggiorani and Enzo Staiola as the father and son in Vittorio De Sica's The Bicycle Thief (1948), written by Cesare Zavattini.
Lamberto Maggiorani and Enzo Staiola as the father and son in Vittorio De Sica's The Bicycle Thief (1948), written by Cesare Zavattini.

The Bicycle Thief (1948) is a seminal film of the Italian Neorealist movement, directed by Vittorio De Sica. The film tells the story of a poor man in post-war Rome whose bicycle, essential for his job, is stolen. He and his son embark on a desperate search for the thief and the bicycle.

The film is renowned for its documentary-like style, on-location shooting, and use of non-professional actors, which were hallmarks of Neorealism. It powerfully depicts the struggles of ordinary people in a time of economic hardship and social upheaval, earning an Academy Award for best foreign film.12

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  1. Vittorio De Sica
  2. Neorealism

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