Tuesday, March 7, 2017
Keep Your Eyes on the Eyes
Bicycle Thieves is not only a movie about looking for a bicycle -- it's also a movie about looking at other people. Many of the most memorable moments of Bicycle Thieves are scenes in which the main characters look at each other: Bruno looking at his father on their way to work, Bruno looking in shock as his father slaps him, Antonio looking in relief as he finds his son. In the final scene of Bicycle Thieves Antonio looked at his son Bruno before his desperate act, and most dramatically Bruno watched Antonio steal a bicycle, get caught and suffer public humiliation. What do these scenes tell us about relationships in the film? About community? About emotions? What about scenes in which a character fails to look at another (as when Bruno falls and Antonio does not see it)? What is the significance of the look?
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In Bicycle Thieves, the close ups of the characters looking at each other happen in the most emotional moments. This is consistent with what we learned earlier about close-up shots creating an emotional connection with the actor. These close-up shots help us understand what the character is feeling. For example, when Ricci slaps his son, Bruno looks up at his father with hurt and tears brimming in his eyes. The boy is also shocked that his father would do such a thing. Bruno’s emotions suggest that this had never been done before in their relationship, that it is something new. After slapping his son, Ricci has a look of disbelief on his face. He shocks himself by hitting Bruno too, probably thinking that he was just caught up searching for his bicycle and he did not even realize he touched his son. This also shows Ricci’s desperation in finding his bicycle since he is so anxious that he lashes out on Bruno. This feeling of desperation is also exemplified when Ricci does not notice Bruno slip in the streets. The boy is clearly frustrated with his father’s lack of attention, making a spectacle of wiping his legs off with the cloth. Ricci brushes it off, and again we see the desperation on the father’s face. He looks off into the distance, scanning the crowds for his bike, his job, and his future. The close-ups in Bicycle Thieves show the emotions of the characters; this shows the viewers that desperation is the main emotion on Ricci’s face throughout the film.
ReplyDeleteIn Bicycle Thieves, the focus of the viewer often isn’t on the bicycle at all, it’s on the relationship of Ricci and his son Bruno. Throughout the movie the most emotional scenes don’t include a bicycle, only the two protagonists’ interactions. The power of the close up in this movie is strong, in every emotional scene, like when Ricci hit Bruno, it was shot in a close up to show all the emotion that each character was feeling. These shots are what make the film more about their relationship than the bicycle. The final scene of the movie is possibly the most powerful scene, after Ricci has stolen a bicycle and gotten caught, he’s humiliated and there’s a moment where he’s wondering how this will affect his family, in particular the relationship he has with his son. During this moment his son grabs his hand to support him, and Ricci grabs tighter. This shows that the relationship between the father and the son is one that can endure almost anything. Throughout the film Bruno thinks of his father as a role model to him, and it seems as though that view of his father endured his father’s attempt at theft and public humiliation as well. In short, the bonds of family are stronger than anything, and can endure nearly anything. Throughout the story Ricci and Bruno’s relationship is tested, and while Bruno has every reason to be mad at his father at the end of the film, he forgives him.
ReplyDeleteIn Vittorio De Sica and Cesare Zavattini neorealism film Bicycle Thieves, relationships hold a significance in helping tell realistic stories without happy endings. The use of various camera angles help show the significance of Bruno and Ricci’s father son relationship which I believe is the most important relationship in the film. It is made clear that Bruno looks up to his dad and wants to be and act like him. While Ricci is looking for his stolen bike he misses what is really important in his life: Bruno. During their search he is completely oblivious to Bruno’s dangerous mishaps that shock the viewer. Ricci’s bike is extremely important to not only Ricci but the well-being of his family, including Bruno so one perspective supports Ricci not paying attention to Bruno however another perspective shows Bruno trying his hardest to get his father’s acceptance and attention. The most breath taking scene in the film is when Ricci hits Bruno. This scene shows the hurtful lengths that Ricci will go to retrieving his bike. Although Ricci may have good intentions, he ends up hurting the one who values his relationship the most. Another hard scene to watch was when Ricci looks at Bruno before attempting to steal someone’s bicycle. Before Ricci was able to steal the bike, a numbered crowd chased after him. The crowd showed the strong relationship between people living in Italian communities and how people care for each other even if they are not in direct relation with one another. In the end Ricci is crying and Bruno holds his hand and gives him ‘the look’. ‘The look’ is significant because despite everything Ricci did in hopes of retrieving his bike, Bruno accepted him for who he is and will love him no matter what.
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ReplyDeleteThe relationship between Bruno and his father is more complicated than it seems. Bruno tries to help his father find the bicycle and even saves his life on occasion but Antonio does not look out for Bruno in the same way. There are many instances where Bruno helps his father avoid getting into trouble or getting severely injured. One example is when Antonio is being attacked by a mob who wants to punish him for blaming one of their friends as being the bicycle thief. Bruno sees that his dad is in trouble and takes the initiative to go and find the police in order to save his dad. Another example of Bruno rescuing his father is when he is caught stealing a bicycle from the street. The men are ready to take him in and send him to jail but Bruno shows up and the man takes pity on Antonio. On the other hand Antonio is the complete opposite. As a father he does not take good care of Antonio nor does he look out for him when he is in trouble. One instance is where Bruno almost gets run over by a car while they are crossing the street. Antonio is so focused on finding his bicycle that he does not consider Bruno’s safety. There are many other times where Antonio does not acknowledge his son and puts him in dangerous situations. He does not realize that Bruno could fall in the river and drown when they are in pursuit of his bike nor does he care when Bruno walks away from him in the streets all by himself. Antonio does not seem to understand the dangers of a little boy alone in a big city. These scenes tell us that Bruno always looks up to his father and wants him to be safe while the contrary is true as Antonio barley acknowledges his son during the whole movie.