The Bicycle Thief

ed. note: I was going through the Freewheeling Spirit archives and found this post from 1948:

So the wife and I went to see the movie "The Bicycle Thief." Critics are praising it for its realism - it was filmed in real locations, using real people rather than trained actors. I think they're putting form over substance.


This movie is about many things, but most of all it is about the importance of owning a bicycle (and making sure it's not stolen). Without giving too much away to those who haven't seen it yet, here's the simple plot of "The Bicycle Thief:" man desperately needs a job; he's given a job that requires a bike, but he's already pawned off his bike; in order to buy a bike, he pawns off the family linens; on the first day of his job his bike is stolen; he searches the streets of Rome for his bike.

Watching this movie, I was again struck by the usefulness of bicycles. I predict that in the 1950's, Americans will end their absurd infatuation with the automobile and return to the sensible urban transport of the streetcar and the bicycle. You heard it here first.