Oscar winning Italian Movie.....

Erimus11

Erimus11

Well-known member
My brother recently loaned me a dvd which he said was: Italian with subtitles, black and white and, if you just go by the title, doesn't sound like it would pull up any trees.

Anyway, I have just finished watching said dvd, which is called "Bicycle Thieves" and found it fascinating and brilliant viewing.

Made in 1949 it actually won an Oscar - directed by Vittorio De Sica and, without giving the story-line away, is as much about post-Fascist Italy as it is about the relationship between a father and son.

I'm sure our more knowledgeable film buffs and critics on here will already be aware of this movie - it is so simplistic and yet enthralling and a masterpiece.
 
I wouldn't call myself a film buff as I watch so few these days but I have this in my collection. It's in the top 10 of most film critics.
 
Erimus11 said:
My brother recently loaned me a dvd which he said was: Italian with subtitles, black and white and, if you just go by the title, doesn't sound like it would pull up any trees.

Anyway, I have just finished watching said dvd, which is called "Bicycle Thieves" and found it fascinating and brilliant viewing.

Made in 1949 it actually won an Oscar - directed by Vittorio De Sica and, without giving the story-line away, is as much about post-Fascist Italy as it is about the relationship between a father and son.

I'm sure our more knowledgeable film buffs and critics on here will already be aware of this movie - it is so simplistic and yet enthralling and a masterpiece.
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Brilliant film mate. If you enjoyed that whole simplistic thing you could do worse than try a bit of Iranian cinema. You have to read between the lines a bit because they need to get the scripts past the censors of course but there are loads of Iranian films that are about resourceful kids trying to perform a simple task but getting thwarted all the way by dogmatic, close minded adults and it isn't hard to see what the subtext is in those films. Really simple stories but with a lot going on under the surface.
 
It is no doubt a very well put together film with a poignant theme. I didn't find it uplifting but rather sad.

If he doesnt know it already can I recommend another Italian film which also won the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film. Life is Beautiful. A film also made with a very serious theme but despite the tragic events is uplifting in many ways.
 
Oh. . . are we still allowed to like 'A Pure Formality'? Great Tornatore film with Depardieu but it does have Polanski in it too. And he's a bit of a wrong' un.
 
Great film.
Very atmospheric these Italian classics, my favourite series in the last year or so (HBO I think) set in or around Naples was My Brilliant Friend. Great to watch.
 
Lottowyn said:
Great film.
Very atmospheric these Italian classics, my favourite series in the last year or so (HBO I think) set in or around Naples was My Brilliant Friend. Great to watch.
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I loved that show too. Downloaded all of the books that its based on but not got around to reading them yet. You might enjoy 'The Mafia Only Kills in the Summer'. Two series of that available on the 'Walter Presents' bit of All 4 and it's great. The Mafia as seen through the eyes of a ten year old kid who keeps getting told that the mafia doesn't exist by all of the adults around him. Very funny and very touching.
 
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