The Bicycle Thief

1948, Italy, Vittorio de Sica, 93 min.

With Lamberto Maggiorani, Enzo Staiola, and Lianella Carell

Introduced by photojournalist Radhika Chalasani.

Unemployed Antonio Ricci (Maggiorani) is elated when he finally finds work hanging posters around war-torn Rome. His wife, Maria (Carell), sells the family’s bed linens to retrieve Antonio’s bicycle from the pawnshop so he can take the job. However, disaster strikes when Antonio’s bicycle is stolen, and his new job is doomed unless he can find the thief. With the help of his lively son, Bruno (Staiola), Antonio combs the city, growing increasingly desperate for justice.

“Given an honorary Oscar in 1949, routinely voted one of the greatest films of all time, revered as one of the foundation stones of Italian neorealism, [The Bicycle Thief (Ladri di biciclette)] is a simple, powerful film about a man who needs a job.” —Roger Ebert, 1999

About the Speaker

Radhika Chalasani is based in New York and works worldwide. She spent six years living in Asia where she covered Vietnam as it emerged from years of isolation. She later moved to Kenya to cover news events like the aftermath of the Rwandan genocide, the beginning of the civil war in Zaire, and famine in Sudan. She spent another four years based in Paris photographing stories in Europe, Asia, and Africa before returning to New York.

About Cabaret Cinema

For the Museum’s classic film series, renowned photographer Steve McCurry selected eight films that have influenced the way he looks at light, color, form, and narrative. Journalists and photographers will introduce each film and relate it to one of McCurry’s photographs in the new exhibition Steve McCurry: India.