BICYCLE THIEVES
aka LADRI DI BICICLETTE

Year: 1948
UK: Park Circus / Arrow Films
Cast: Lamberto Maggiorani, Lianella Carell, Enzo Staiola, Elena Aitieri, Vittorio Antonucci, Gino Saltamerenda
Director: Vittorio De Sica
Country: Italy
Language: Italian (English subtitles)
UK: 89 mins
UK Certificate: U contains mild language and violence
UK Release Date: 19 December 2008 (Limited Re-release)
UK Distributor

Synopsis

Vittorio De Sica's 1948 international masterpiece BICYCLE THIEVES (LADRI DI BICICLETTE) is making a welcome return to cinemas, in a beautifully restored version.

The impoverished Antonio's new job delivering cinema posters is threatened when a thief steals his bicycle. Too poor to buy another, he and his son take to the streets in an impossible search for the bike. This landmark film defined the Italian neorealist approach with its brutal portrayal of post-war life, its truthful acting, its compassion and poetic rhythm. De Sica uses the wandering pair to witness the lives of everyday folk, whilst ultimately depicting a story of love and hope between father and son.

BICYCLE THIEVES is presented in a fully restored, digital cinema version and new 35mm prints.