Analyze a scene from Bicycle Thieves. Be sure to read the handouts I've given you.
Choose a 5 minute scene and analyze it completely. Remember that you need to mention why you chose the scene and this scene's relation to the film as a whole. In addition, pay close attention to: mise-en-scene, lighting, camera angles, shot types, etc. Here is a list of items to pay attention to when you write your 750 words (minimum) (and when you do your oral presentation):
- How well do I understand how meaning is constructed through the use of film language in this extract?
- How well do I understand the extract's relationship to the film as a whole?
- How well do I understand the influences of the film's genre?
- How well can I place the film and this extract in a broader socio-cultural context?
- How insightful is my analysis of the director's intention?
- How coherent, incisive, insightful, and detailed is my evaluative interpretation of this extract?
Here is a list of "vocab" you should use:
- narrative
- direction
- cinematography
- mise-en-scene
- lighting (which is often, but not always, considered part of mise-en-scene)
- camera movement
- editing
- sound (diegetic and non-diegetic)
Be sure your paper is AT LEAST 750 words. Watch the clip a number of times. Let your ideas flow. Spend time with this. If you don't, your presentation next year will suffer. It will be difficult if you don't practice. If you do what I ask, that will be an easy assessment for you!
The Bicycle Thief directed by Vittorio de Sica is another prime example of the Italian neorealist movement. The scene that I decided to analyze was the one in which Antonio and Bruno are walking through the courtyard that is filled to the brim with bikes, searching for the bicycle that was stolen from them. This scene is key to the narrative because it shows Antonio while he was still a good man. He is tempted in this scene but does not succumb to temptation. On the other hand later in the movie he is tempted and he falls into the temptation of thievery. This scene, in addition to being important to the narrative, also maintains many of the classic cinematic elements of an Italian neorealist film. It has realistic characters, a real place, nothing is “sugar-coated” and it also keeps a diegetic sound until the end. Many cinematic aspects, such as sound design, shot composition and kinetic cameras are evident in this film.
ReplyDeleteThe sound design throughout this film is very important. A mix between just the raw noise, immersing us in the film. And non diegetic music, helping the audience get to the emotional state that we are supposed to be in. In this scene for example the non diegetic music that plays towards the end is key to helping the viewer feel for Antonios lust towards the bicycles. As the music begins to play the editor cuts to a close up, dollying shot of the bicycles. The lighting of this shot makes the bikes almost glimmer, obviously making them more attractive. The dollying shot creates an almost point of view feel to it. Putting us in the shoes of Antonio. By putting us in the shoes of Antonio the director effectively captures the audience. The shots of Antonio in the crowd directly reflect the marxist movement. The eye level, medium shots make him look equal to everyone there. As he searches for the bike he looks no different from any man on the screen. All of the people are in the unified struggle to survive. The set being the crowded marketplace helps create the chaos that Antonio must be going through for the viewer. This paired with the crowd noises completely immerse the viewer in the film and the atmosphere of the italian city. Costume also plays a role in this scene. Antonio has his beaten up sport coat, putting him at a lower class. While the police man has a nice put together outfit. Putting his authority above him. Although the police man does have a bit of a bulging gut, maybe saying something about how de Sica views authority. The cuts in this scene are very slow. This almost gives the feel of someone browsing through the supermarket. Sort of taking their time looking at all of the options. This adds a casual feel to the film which makes this whole ordeal seem not so out of the ordinary. As if the people are used to living in this struggle. The focus on the bike parts and bikes themselves almost create a sort of materialistic view. Although not in the americanized view of want. But the need of materials to survive. In this case it is a bike in order for Antonio to get a job. And a job is needed to survive. Another point of view shot of from Antonio walking away from the tables full of bike pieces. It is as though he is looking back on them, wanting them dearly but not being able to get them. This is a return to the lust from earlier in my analysis. At a certain point the bike parts are in the foreground, placing them as more important than Antonio and company. All of these cinematic aspects of the film bring the film to the classic Neorealist type.
“The Bicycle Thief” was a 1948 film which really highlighted the extreme poverty and the inability of social mobility in Italy following World War II. The narrative the story of a man who’s bike is stolen and eventually the viewer realizes just how crucial the bike is not just for transportation but for a man’s life. It also really demonstrates how tough times can cause even the best of men to turn to sin and thievery.
ReplyDeleteThe scene that I have chosen is the final scene in the film starting at when the crowds of people are shown exiting the arena and ending with the film's final shot. This scene is important because it is the culmination of society against Antonio, the main character. In the scene this is expressed cinematically and narratively we find him at his worst state and being pitied the most. The scene begins with a long shot which is panning slightly and depicts a very large crowd. It is a POV from Antonio’s eyes. The people are unrecognizable but the shot shows the mass amount that are exiting the arena that is near Antonio. Next there is a shot from behind him which is medium-long and he looks around a corner until we see a bike that he is clearly thinking about stealing. Next, there is a shot of Bruno on the ground. He looks up at his father and seems concerned. All the while the nondiegetic music a few tension building notes. This sound is mixed with the loud chatter of the crowd.
In terms of mise-en-scene there are a lot of properties used in the form of bikes. We see them in almost every shot of the film almost blatantly, which dramatizes the fact that Antonio does not have one. It frustrates him and the viewer. This shot is no different we see bikes amongst the people as well. The costumes that the crowd is wearing as well as those walking behind Antonio are very well dressed. Most wear white colors and are sharp and put together which contrasts with Antonio’s dark and ratted suit. In keeping with the theme of bikes, there is a cut right from Antonio who looks distressed to very many people all picking up their bikes. The music is almost dreamlike in this instance which, combined with the eyeline match cut, tells us Antonio is looking at the bikes and also his reaction, which is yearning for one of the vehicles. This sets up his desperation in the coming shots.
At this point Antonio walks back and forth and it is cut to show him facing the bike that he eventually will steal and the street. After cutting back and forth, the pattern is broken and there is a shot of Bruno sitting on the ground. Antonio has made up his mind. Now there is a long tracking shot of Antonio going to steal the bike which is parallel edited with Bruno attempting to get on the train. The next shot is very long duration and Antonio finally steals the bike. Narratively in this part it seems almost as if fate would have it that he gets caught on account of just terrible luck. The owner of the bike comes out of the house almost instantly and starts yelling “Thief!! Thief!!” We see several other well dressed Romans sprinting toward the camera and our culprit. Antonio rides away from the camera and out of the frame.
In the chase scene, closed framing is used quite a bit. The buildings on the street in the first shot are extremely tall looking and very flat and seem almost to box Antonio in. Also he is extremely small in the frame at first. There is an interesting shot of Bruno that follows the direction of the dad showing Bruno looking on in a scared yet almost angry way. When we cut back to Antonio it is clear how much larger the crowd is than him and eventually he rides away from the camera again and becomes tiny, making escape futile. There is a shot of him being enclosed by the crowd and this cuts to another great use of closed framing.
The people themselves create closed framing, there is about of third of the frame of headroom above them but yet the fact that they are holding him and there are blows coming in from every side and the fact that they enclose all sides and essentially eliminate offscreen space make it feel very desperate. Another closed shot of Bruno squeezing his way desperately to his father has the camera at Bruno’s height and this time is even more closed as there is nothing but members of the crowd included in it. Finally the train breaks up the crowd and they leave. There is an important shot of Bruno picking up his father's hat and dusting it off which symbolizes the respect he still has for his father. In the shot the crowd of other citizens of Rome are in the background and out of focus showing the state of mind of the father and most likely Bruno.
ReplyDeleteFinally through the quick editing, meant to replicate the fact that the owner of the bike has subtly noticed the fact that Antonio has a son, they decide to let him go. The last shots cut between the son and the father as they walk home extremely devastated and ashamed. The members of the crowd still are dressed very well, a majority have bikes and they seem to taunt the dejected Antonio. The final shot shows the two walking into the crowd and eventually they completely disappear into the masses bourgeoisie and are assumably ruined.
Your response isnt long enough cuz
DeleteMy scene starts at 14:20, Bruno is cleaning Antonio’s bike. This film takes place in 1948; end of world war two and the country of Italy are in ruin because of the war. Most of the people are poor and jobless. That is what this film is based off of, a Man who has no job and struggles to find one and when one comes up we see how important and curtail this job is to him.
ReplyDeleteThe scene starts with Bruno, Antonio’s child probably around the age of ten, cleaning his father’s bike before his first day of work. The house is poorly lit and Bruno complains about it. Throughout the film we understand more about the roll of Bruno in this household. He is the “head” of it. He acts like and adult and we see later that he in fact has a job. But in this scene we see this as well. Bruno cleaning his father’s bike and complaining about how it’s scratched and how he wants to fight the Bike mechanic. A child should not be worrying about things like this. So when Bruno goes to open the window and let some light in on this room signifying that with his father’s new job their world can be brighter. With Bruno opening the light shows that he is the one who makes this house brighter, better, with the money he makes and all the work he does in the house. As he does this the camera pans with him showing more of the room and we see another bed and on the bed is a baby. So not only was Bruno getting himself, and his father ready for work he was also watching the baby, not something a child should be doing but the father the caretaker of the house. The non-diegetic music playing is peaceful showing that the mood is bright in the house and everyone in it.
Then it goes to Antonio leaving Bruno with the baby to talk to his wife, Maria. He is walking, framed full length through doorways and panes to Maria working on Antonio’s hat, she is also getting him ready for work basically showing with the examples of Bruno and her that he is incapable of doing anything without assistance. Later also proves this when he asks for help to find his bike and needs Bruno to help him get out of situations.
At the end of this house scene the same non-diegetic music is playing, Antonio is leaving while Bruno is standing on a stool high up signifying his importance. He then notices the baby and we know this by a POV shot on the baby and then look at the door and close it to make the room dark so the baby can sleep again. Bruno cares for this baby like a father while its actual father is walking out the room shown framed by the door so we can see that he has turned his back, doesn’t think much of his family but of him and his new job.
Now Antonio and Bruno are on their way to work along with others and the
Mise-en-scene is really important here. Everyone is dark, and in scummy cloths like the day is a chore. Contrasted with all this darkness is this non-diegetic music and its really happy and fast pace, these people are all are all poor and in a terrible place and while they are riding up the dark mountain the reach a point where they can see Rome.in this extreme long shot, Rome is so lit, its white, kind of like its heaven in a way because it’s a place of wealth, jobs. But in this shot of Rome the dark road that everyone is riding on just to get there mostly consumes it.
. This in fact shows even that they all work in Rome they still are poor and have this dark shadow over them consuming their lives with the small glimces of happiness. Throughout all theses shots its edited pretty slow and the fading to each shot making it feel like its taking them a bit of time just to get to where the need to go. Antonio and Bruno are centered in the screen but the camera is on an angle as it is going along with them on their ride.
ReplyDeleteNow we see them in Rome, everything is much brighter and a long shot of Antonio coming out of the dark road and dropping off Bruno at work, with Antonio never coming in close always a long shot. As he leaves each shot transitions from fading giving the illusion of time passing and a start to a hard days work. The mise-en-scene here clearly showing the bright and bustling city of Rome with all these workers dark and dingy like they don’t belong.
Now a man is teaching Antonio how to do his job and he specifically says that you should not rip or have these posters wrinkled. As we already know Antonio is incapable of doing things on his own and it clearly is shown with the ripped and wrinkly poster he produces. thus ending my scene. throughout this scene we can tell that Antonio is no help and will not expect anymore of him in the future of the film.