Neorealism

On the last lecture, there was very curious theme – Realism. And I would like to share with an idea of Realism – Neorealism and to analyse a film.

As known Neorealism came from Italy in 1940s-1950s. Neorealism tried with the greatest possible credibility reflect the facts and events from the life of the working class and the urban lower classes. There are many Italian directors with their different works based on neorealism. In this case, I would like to tell you about one bright example by Vittorio De Sica – The Bicycle Thieves (Ladri di biciclette) (1948).

Vittorio De Sica shows to the audience life through the eyes of father and son. Idyll of the main characters evokes and demonstrates affinity with tragedy of the common man, where routine questions become the basis for a dynamic storyline, where emotions and feelings are uncontrollable, where the narrative gaiety mixed with melancholy and sad.

Directing technique is also fully satisfies the most stringent requirements of Italian neorealism. In the film touched upon ideas about being in everyday life. The cruelty of the Italian daily life in post-war period: poverty, unemployment, starvation, and child labour. No scene is filmed in the pavilion, no effects, no sets. Camera moved freely from place to place, locking in every episode of the smallest details. The film is remarkable for its sociality, it conveys life and the mood of the people living at that time. Everything happens on the street. As for the performers, none of them had any idea of ​​theatrical or cinematic experience.

This movie reminded me a lot to novella of Nikolai Gogol's "The Overcoat", where the image of the "little man", whose destiny depends on the people around him.

"My film deals with the suffering of the poor." © Vittorio De Sica