Felicia is joined by Ryan Ritter to discuss the film that cemented the genre of Italian neo-realism in history; Vittorio De Sica’s Bicycle Thieves (1948).

We chat about De Sica’s ability to discover raw talent from non-actors and guide them to deliver unforgettable performances. Along with how relatable this story has been to audiences over the years.

This is the final installment in the De Sica series and it brought great warmth to my heart to revisit and discuss these films. I hope my guests and I have inspired you to seek out his later work as well.

Send us your thoughts on the episode by sending us a message on any of our social platforms or by email: [email protected]

Check out our previous episode with Ryan:
Klute (Alan J. Pakula - Gordon Willis D.O.P. 1971)

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Sources:

https://www.criterion.com/current/posts/6246-the-joy-and-pain-of-one-good-meal-in-bicycle-thieves

https://www.criterion.com/current/posts/3754-hou-hsiao-hsien-on-the-films-that-changed-his-life

https://www.criterion.com/current/posts/1538-remembering-suso-cecchi-d-amico

https://www.criterion.com/current/posts/1090-bicycle-thieves-ode-to-the-common-man

https://retrospectjournal.com/2024/03/24/bicycle-thieves/

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/13/movies/bicycle-thieves-italian-neorealism.html

https://www.sensesofcinema.com/2020/cteq/bicycle-thieves-vittorio-de-sica-1948/

https://fourthwallwriting.com/2019/04/01/the-perfect-illusion-bicycle-thieves-as-pure-cinema/

https://www.criterion.com/current/top-10-lists/201-roger-corman-s-top-10

OUTRO SONG:
Bicycle Thieves by Alessandro Cicognini

FILMS MENTIONED:
Klute (Alan J. Pakula 1971)

Ghostbusters (Ivan Reitman 1984)

Beetlejuice (Tim Burton 1988)

Shoeshine (Vittorio De Sica 1946)

The Children Are Watching Us (Vittorio De Sica 1944)

Umberto D. (Vittorio De Sica 1952)

Miracle in Milan (Vittorio De Sica 1951)

Heart and Soul (Vittorio De Sica 1948)

Goodfellas (Martin Scorsese 1990)

Casino (Martin Scorsese 1995)

Marriage Italian Style (Vittorio De Sica 1964)

Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow (Vittorio De Sica 1963)

Il boom (Vittorio De Sica 1963)

Come and See (Elem Klimov 1985)

Nights of Cabiria (Federico Fellini 1957)

Mildred Pierce (Michael Curtiz 1945)

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