Italian neorealism, oh my goodness, I would be just as angry as the Italians if The Bicycle Thief was a total representation of my country and lifestyle, that goodness it's not. It was the most interesting mundane film I've ever seen, second only to Castaway. But it is a the epitome of Italian neorealism! It is very obvious that the film, set in a medium sized town with very distinct neighborhoods, was shot on location in its entirety. The town is a working class area, easily identifiable by the pawn shop type place where Antonio purchases his very needed bike after pawning his sheets for the cash. Antonio is supporting his wife and two children but can't find work mirrors any poor town in the world. This was the story of an ordinary family which is the backbone of Italian neorealism. Nothing about this story was overly heroic, no special effects, now totally awesome sound track....nothing, just like everyday life. I can almost bet that the reason the neorealists shyed away from professionally known actors is to avoid the pricetag and because pretending to do something you already do is very simple in the case of boring working class families. They really didn't have to try hard to act out the stories they were telling, because they were too close to their own. As they were walking through the town I realized how long the distances were, but the directors got the full take with adds to the film's unique boringness. The Bicycle Thief had a definite protaganist, antagonist, conflict, but no real resolution. He lost his bike...but did he keep looking, did he keep his job, or find another? This film does magnify the horrors and devastation of life after war. I think for some Italians this was a breath of fresh air though to see films that actively portray how they think, feel and live. Do The Right Thing follows the guidelines for Italian neorealism, it could possibly be dubbed, Black neorealism.
Kerstin D.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
I think you said it best when you said "unique boringness". The resistancy to cut away to keep audience interest is a bold choice, I think, and a good one to achieve "subjectivity" of the viewer with Antonio and Bruno and the family.
ReplyDeleteHave you seen the movie Open Water? the majority of the film is just a couple of people in the middle of the ocean, in the water alone. Its another hard hitting, subjective film with that unique boringness you speak of.
I think this movie has relevance not only to post WWII Italian families, but to all poor families, everywhere, from the past to the present. And the pawn shop shows its withstanding relevance. Great entry...