The Geezer - Best Film
Following the traditions the Oscars the Dr has decided to do his own awards for films of great cinematic and artistic achievement. The current winner of the Geezer for best film goes to … ‘Ladri di Biciclette’ (the Bicycle Thief) - 1948/1949. If you’ve not seen this amazing piece of cinematic story-telling by director Vittorio De Sica, don’t just rush out and get it. Instead, put it on your ‘to rent’ list. You’ll need to be in the mood.
‘Ladri di Biciclette’ was shot in Italy just following WWII. It documents that time, when thousands were living in true poverty and jobs were scarce. Then Antonio, the main character, gets a job; but there’s a catch. The job requires that he has the bicycle which he recently pawned and he has no money to buy it back. One of his early lines sets the mood for the film - “I’ve always had rotten luck.” Antonio’s wife knows they can’t survive without the job so she hawks all her bed linens to buy back the bicycle. On his first day on the job, however, the bicycle is stolen and a mood of desperation begins. He has one day to find the bicycle or he will lose his job and, most likely, the bicycle will be gone for good. The story is about Antonio’s and his 9 year old son Bruno’s search for the lost biped through the jungle of post-war Italy. The beauty of the story and the acting is the decay of overwhelmed Antonio’s relationship to his son.
This film is sad, simple, powerful, and beautiful in many ways. It captures pure simply story-telling as few films ever do. In 1950, when there wasn’t a category for Foreign Films, ‘Ladri di Biciclette’ was nominated for an Oscar. Though it didn’t win, it was given an honorary Oscar for Most Outstanding Foreign Film during the 1949 release in the USA. From 1949-51 the film managed to steal most of prestigious awards up for grabs. I’m telling you, this is one of the all time greats, but maybe not the best date movie … unless your date likes beautifully, sad films about the loss of more than a bicycle. Pick a night to see an amazing piece of cinematic art and see this film!
photo by *Kicki* @flickr
