✱ Bicycle Thieves × Paths of Glory

Back-to-back postwar bangers: De Sica’s Bicycle Thieves (1948) and Kubrick’s Paths of Glory (1957). It was my first time watching Bicycle Thieves, and it was marvelous. A neorealist urban crawler, comprised of (allegedly) mostly non-actors (directed by an actor), this film found its footing almost immediately to the backdrop of an enchanting, enigmatic Rome. For a mere 89 minutes, we’re along for a succinct, fast-moving ride following a struggling, stubborn family man who fitfully reckons with the stolen hope of finally landing a stable job in postwar Italy, along with the city’s mischievous machinations that seemingly work against him up until his harrowing end-scene decision. I gathered, like a few films that tread into the sub-genre of child and parent adventures, this one will definitely yield more rewards in repeat viewings. Got the sense immediately that it was trying to tell us that our protagonist was being harshly (if unwittingly) judged by his own son, much like the audience…