Film is a visual medium. Some say great movies should be fine without dialogues to convey the story, and visual imagery should be enough. When I watch films, I find myself making mental notes of several visual elements that I feel work in communicating the essence of the story to me. My focus is usually on the many motifs that not only advance the narrative further but also strengthen the theme of the film. These motifs together generate a new meaning in the film’s mise-en-scene, and the gap between the creator’s vision and the viewer’s interpretation adds to the mysticism of film as a medium.

Bicycle Thieves, hailed as the best in the history of cinema, despite having a seemingly simple storyline, is deeply layered in terms of the many ideas it wants to touch upon. Set in the post-World War II era, the film bears the responsibility of communicating the social circumstances of the time, and well-thought-out frames and composition help immensely in that regard.

When we discussed the film in class, somebody mentioned how we keep seeing crowds throughout, even though the story is mainly about a single character—Antonio Ricci (Lamberto Maggiorani)—and his personal quest to find his stolen bicycle. The juxtaposition of the visuals of the crowd with Antonio is an important aspect of Bicycle Thieves. With this imagery, Vittorio De Sica has seemingly achieved twin objectives—let Antonio’s individual journey stand out while also emphasizing the facelessness of the big city, where individuals are easily lost among the masses. 

The image above showcases a group of workers standing impatiently behind Antonio, seeking work at the film’s beginning. This crowd here represents the shared sense of community among all workers and their similar aspirations. In a sense, the picture is a reminder of the collective struggles and challenges faced by the working class in post-World War II Italy.

I see a different meaning of the crowd’s presence in the second image, wherein the crowd is furious and lacks empathy and compassion, giving away the idea that despite being a group, members lack personal bonds, reinforcing the idea that one is often alone in a group.

These two images are thus particularly memorable since the same motif is symbolic of different ideas.

Throughout the film, Antonio and his son, Bruno (Enzo Staiola), face several obstacles in recovering the stolen cycle. Sometimes, the people they meet are helpful; sometimes, not so much. It is interesting to watch how windows and shutters are used as motifs to reflect themes of societal divisions and lost opportunities. The close shutters, for me, are also like emotional barriers that exist between people. Even though most of the Italian working class is facing similar everyday issues, they still find it difficult to bond as if even though they are a collective, they are also in competition with one another.

Of the many times we see doors and windows open and close in the film, the scene above is particularly significant. We see Antonio and Bruno speaking to a policeman about a prospective thief. In the background, a woman carrying a baby. She stares at them for a few seconds and then slowly closes the window and leaves. The shutters and windows, in this case, represent the stark disconnect between the individuals in a crowded urban environment. Despite the proximity of neighbors, characters largely remain emotionally isolated due to their own struggles and hardships. The closed shutters and windows symbolize this distance between them.

The most interesting visual motif has to be the hat. Sica uses types of hats in varied situations to convey a string of ideas. The hat in itself is a symbol of respect and, by extension, represents

hierarchy in society. Antonio doesn’t wear a hat at the beginning of the film. Once he lands a job, we see him sport a Fedora. He removes this hat upon meeting his boss, who then grants him a conductor’s hat for his uniform. These consecutive shifts represent furtherance in his social position. The conductor hat becomes a symbol of prosperity and success for him. In Image 4, we see a very intimate moment between Antonio and Maria (Lianella Carell). The former has just informed the latter about him starting his job. He removes the Fedora, wears the new hat and asks Maria to tailor his hat since it’s too big. Later in the film, after Maria has finished the modifications, she herself places the conductor’s hat on his head, giving out the message that women are integral to men’s success even in a society where they don’t directly contribute to the workforce.

Antonio primarily wears the Fedora while looking for the cycle. By the end, when the crowd beats Antonio, his hat flies away. It is his son Bruno who picks it up again (In the image above, he returns the hat to his father.), almost as if picking up his father’s lost respect. The scene also instantly constitutes a shift in Bruno’s psyche. Having seen his father struggle to find his bicycle the entire day, he has been transformed.

After over seventy years, the simple-story, neorealist film still finds a place in history with its deep and profound symbols and messages.

Article Courtesy of Anjani Chadha

Feature Image Credit to Ente Nazionale Industrie Cinematografiche; all film stills taken from ‘Bicycle Thieves’ by Vittorio De Sica