(Ladri di biciclette, Vittorio De Sica, Italy 1948, 89 min., Italian w/subtitles)
Academy Awards at 90. In this founding film of the neorealist movement, director Vittorio De Sica notably used non-actors, including Lamberto Maggiorani, an unemployed steelworker, as Ricci, a poster-hanger who relies on his bicycle to make a living. While he is busy with his son Bruno, the bicycle is stolen, and the two begin a desperate search for the thief. As they rush through Rome, their efforts are fruitless; the temporary relief of pizza and wine don’t alleviate Ricci’s troubles and force this proud man to make a difficult choice: to steal or go hungry. A deeply humanist masterpiece and exploration of personal hardship that suggests a universe inextricably bound by perverse economic ties.