Bicycle Thieves

Bicycle Thieves (1948) is an Italian neorealist film directed by Vittorio De Sica, regarded as one of the greatest films ever made. The film follows Antonio, a poor man in post-World War II Rome who gets a job pasting posters, only to have his bicycle stolen on his first day of work. Desperate to find his stolen bicycle, Antonio and his young son search the city in vain, highlighting the struggles of the working class. Bicycle Thieves is known for its stark portrayal of poverty and its realistic, almost documentary-like style. The film’s universal themes of hardship, hope, and the bond between father and son make it one of the most emotionally resonant works in world cinema, and it remains a cornerstone of the neorealist movement.