Tuesday, March 7, 2017
Bicycles v. Uniforms: Who Has the Last Laugh?
On the surface Bicycle Thieves and The Last Laugh have the same plot. In both films the protagonist either loses his job or will likely lose a job and in a desperate bid to restore that job they need to reacquire or even steal a precious object that symbolizes their position, a bicycle or a uniform, respectively. Furthermore, if we ignore the "happy ending" imposed by the studio on The Last Laugh, both protagonists end the movie defeated and depressed with seemingly little hope for a better future. Nonetheless, despite these similarities, these are different movies. In what way are they different? What is the social or moral message of each? What are each say about the society of their times (Germany in the 20's and Italy in the 40's)? How do they differ on questions of social mobility, morality or the family? Is one more hopeful or cynical?
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Bicycle Thieves and The Last Laugh have many similarities; one of these being the emotional drama. In The Last Laugh there are high angle shots of Emil Jannings decrepitly cleaning the bathroom, illustrating his depression and loss. In Bicycle Thieves the last scene includes close ups of Ricci and Bruno crying, showing the emotional damage caused by the stealing of two bicycles. The two films also have another similarity; displaying wealth through food. In The Last Laugh this display comes at the end of the film, there is a tracking shot as a waiter brings Jannings an endless array of food. In Bicycle Thieves there is a back and forth of poor Bruno eating a mozzarella sandwich, and an upper-middle class child eating a lavish meal with dessert. The other child repeatedly looks down on Bruno throughout the scene. Even though the films have these two similarities; they have opposing moral stances. The Last Laugh is a film advocating for capitalism, whilst Bicycle Thieves advocates for communism. These points can first be viewed through individualist and family ideals. Throughout The Last Laugh, Jannings takes actions fully for himself; an example of this is when he steals back his uniform solely so he can have his individual respect. Contrarily, Ricci actions are mainly selfless. The plot of the film is driven by Ricci searching for his bike, so he can provide for his family. He also takes Bruno out to eat to cheer him up, by doing this it is shown that Ricci actually cares for someone else. Another way in which you can view the two films as having conflicting capitalist and communist ideals, is through the hero. The hero in The Last Laugh, is the millionaire who’s money Jannings inherits. Since the millionaire left Jannings the money, the old man is saved from dishonor. Even though we never meet this man, he is from the upper class, a member of the bourgeoisie. This fact makes the film capitalist propaganda, as it portrays that the leaders of capitalism will look out and protect the working class. This is completely contrary to the message from Bicycle Thieves. The hero in this movie is young Bruno, a poor working class boy, who stands with his father even after Ricci turns to crime. The message from Bicycle Thieves is not only one of family, but the idea that it is not the bourgeoisie who looks out for the working class, but the Communist Party. In the film, the only people who help Ricci, other than Bruno, are people at a Communist Party social club. The police, church, mafia, middle, and upper class are of no help at all.
ReplyDeleteThe Last Laugh and The Bicycle thief have very similar plots and dramatically different endings. Despite the fact that the Last Laugh ends with the protagonist drowning in wealth and the Bicycle Thieves ends in the moral collapse of a man, the latter is in fact more hopeful. The ending doesn’t define a film, and endings can be very misleading. The hope from bicycle thieves comes from Antonio’s relationship with his young son Bruno. Amid the turmoil and sadness of the plot, their constant relationship of love and care is touching and at times heartbreaking. For example even when Bruno is slapped by Antonio and the subsequent close ups showing each’s reaction, the audience never for a second questions how much Antonio loves his son. The most touching development in their relationship is in the final scene after Antonio fails to steal a bike and his son watches. Bruno has just had the illusion that his father is perfect completely destroyed in a matter of moments, but he is still there to love and support his father. His hand squeeze as they disappear into a crowd of people is the most hopeful scene I have ever seen, because I know things will be okay for Antonio. Family is the most important thing and the best source of hope, so the fact that the doorman from the Last Laugh has no family makes his story decidedly cynical. Even in the epilogue with all the food and money, the audience does not feel hopeful that he will go on to complete a happy life because of his lack of family and love. The relationships between family members may be strained at times, but ultimately it is nearly impossible to live a happy life without their love.
ReplyDeleteThe Last Laugh and The Bicycle thief have very similar plots and dramatically different endings. Despite the fact that the Last Laugh ends with the protagonist drowning in wealth and the Bicycle Thieves ends in the moral collapse of a man, the latter is in fact more hopeful. The ending doesn’t define a film, and endings can be very misleading. The hope from bicycle thieves comes from Antonio’s relationship with his young son Bruno. Amid the turmoil and sadness of the plot, their constant relationship of love and care is touching and at times heartbreaking. For example even when Bruno is slapped by Antonio and the subsequent close ups showing each’s reaction, the audience never for a second questions how much Antonio loves his son. The most touching development in their relationship is in the final scene after Antonio fails to steal a bike and his son watches. Bruno has just had the illusion that his father is perfect completely destroyed in a matter of moments, but he is still there to love and support his father. His hand squeeze as they disappear into a crowd of people is the most hopeful scene I have ever seen, because I know things will be okay for Antonio. Family is the most important thing and the best source of hope, so the fact that the doorman from the Last Laugh has no family makes his story decidedly cynical. Even in the epilogue with all the food and money, the audience does not feel hopeful that he will go on to complete a happy life because of his lack of family and love. The relationships between family members may be strained at times, but ultimately it is nearly impossible to live a happy life without their love.
ReplyDelete