Bicycle Thieves (Ladri di biciclette)

THIS 4K RESTORATION BY FONDAZIONE CINETECA DI BOLOGNA,

COMPASS FILM AND ISTITUTO LUCE

WAS BASED UPON THE ORIGINAL NEGATIVES,

A DUPE HELD BY COMPASS FILM AT THE STUDIO CINE LAB,

AND AN OLDER PRINT HELD BY CINETECA DI BOLOGNA.

THE ORIGINAL NEGATIVE WAS IN AN ADVANCED STATE

OF CHEMICAL DETERIORATION,

THEREFORE IT WAS PARTLY UNUSABLE

OR SEVERELY COMPROMISED.

FOR THE UNUSABLE SCENES, THE DUPE INITIALLY PRINTED IN 1997

DURING THE FILM'S PHOTOCHEMICAL RESTORATION WAS USED,

ALONG WITH FRAMES FROM THE OLDER PRINT.

A SPECIAL THANKS TO DP LUCA BIGAZZI FOR HIS GRADING SUPERVISION.

RESTORATION CARRIED OUT AT L'IMMAGINE RITROVATA IN BOLOGNA IN 2018.

BICYCLE THIEVES

- I've been coming here for two weeks. - Ricci?

Is Ricci there?

- Ricci? - Ricci!

Ricci!

Ricci!

Are you deaf? They're calling for you. Come on! Get moving.

- Should bricklayers die of hunger? - I can't do anything about it, man.

Just be patient. We'll see what we can do.

That's what I'm here for. We'll try to find something.

- Ricci, your job. - My job?

You'll be putting up posters. Go to the employment office.

Give them this, and you'll get a work permit.

- Is there nothing for us? - I can't believe it!

Hey, what about us?

I need lathe operators, it's not for you.

Since it's not for me I should continue to rot?

Don't take it out on me!

Ricci, don't forget to bring your bicycle.

You need one. It's written on the slip.

A bicycle?

I have it, sort of. But not right away.

- I can get it in a few days. - They need it now for it to work.

Why? Can't I just walk the first few days?

Do you have it or not? If not, somebody else will get the job.

- I have a bicycle! - You're not the only one! I do, too.

You're a bricklayer. It's a different job type.

- Then, change it! - I can't.

Ricci, do you have this bicycle or not?

I have it I'll pick it up.

No bike, no job. It's a condition of employment.

I won't wait around another two years. Don't worry. I'll have the bicycle.

- Where's Casaldi? - Here!

We need a handyman at the Tufello site, if you're up for it.

- Of course I'm up for it. - Is there nothing for me?

What do you people expect me to do?

Maria!

Maria.

- What is it? What happened? - My rotten luck, that's what.

I found a job and I can't take it.

What? A job? What are you talking about?

What did you say? Antonio. Tell me.

What did you say? There's a job for you?

And a good one, at that!

We'll take care of that, Antonio. Can't it be dealt with?

Take care of what? I need my bicycle, now.

I must be there this morning or I lose the job.

- What can we do, then? - What do you think?

- Morning, Mrs. Ricci. - Good morning.

You shouldn't have pawned the bike.

- What would we eat, then? - Shut up.

- I shouldn't have been born! - People will hear!

- I ought to just jump into the river. - Come on.

Get up, Antonio.

- What are you doing? - You can sleep without sheets, right?

They're all sheets, six of them.

They're linen and cotton. Really good stuff.

- They're from my dowry. - They're used.

Not all of them. Two are new.

- How many pieces? - Six.

Three doubles, three singles.

Three of each...

- 7,000. - 7,000?

Couldn't you give us a bit more?

They're used. They all are.

All right, take them away.

7,500.

- Name? - Ricci. Maria Ricci.

- Val Melaina H, number 1. - Number 1.

One, two, three, four, five, six, seven.

One, two, three, four, and five.

- Thank you. - Have a nice day.

It's a bicycle.

- 6,100. - Why?

- Interest. It's the 31st. - Here you go.

- It's a Fides. Next to the red one. - I know, I know.

I'm sorry, sir. Are you done?

Wait a second.

- Where's the man in charge? - Over there.

Put it down. What are you, afraid?

Put that bicycle down.

I'm sorry. My name is Ricci, Antonio Ricci.

The Val Melaina employment office sent me.

You start tomorrow. Go to the storeroom. They'll give you what you need.

- Thank you, have a nice day. - Likewise.

- Hi. - Goodbye.

- Tomorrow at 6:45, got it? - No worries.

- How did it go? - Well.

You had to wait, but everything is OK.

- What's this? - It's some work for you.

It's the belt of my cap. It's loose.

Come over here and have a look.

Everyone has his own locker.

See how big it is?

You know, they also used to give shoes, but the pay is still good.

6,000 plus an allowance for the family. And there's overtime!

Could you stop at Via delta Paglia?

- What for? - I have to pay someone a visit.

- A she? - Indeed.

Stop here.

Who lives here?

- I told you, someone. Just a second. - Who is it?

Hurry up!

- Is it mine? - No, it's mine!

- I told you it's mine. - It's mine!

- That makes it 5-3. We're 5-3. - No, it's 5-4.

- Hello! Is anybody here? - Hello?

Excuse me. Does the wise woman live here?

- Wise woman? - Yes, the seer.

I don't know.

- Let's try the first floor. - Let's do that.

- Is the wise woman here? - Yes, last door.

Now it's your turn.

- I took it off. - You took what?

Kiddo. Could you watch it for a while?

All right.

My son is sick.

He's bedridden. At first I thought it was flu.

- Did you call the doctor? - I did.

- But you know how it is... - Last door.

February, March, and April went by.

- How long has he been in bed? - Over a year.

- You could have brought him to me! - How? He's bedridden.

What can I do?

This one, but not this one.

Dear God, bless me with light. Bless me, Lord.

Your son will be out of bed before the first leaf falls.

What do you mean "before the first leaf falls"?

Maria!

- Your son will be up by the autumn. - Come on, leave.

- Maria, come on. - No.

Maria... What are you waiting for?

- What are you doing here? - I owe her 50 lire.

Come on, don't be stupid.

She predicted you would get a job. You did.

- I want to do my duty. - I'll tell her what I think!

All right, then. Let's go.

How can a woman with two children and a head on her shoulders

think about such nonsense, such stupidity? I don't get it.

What are you doing now?

You must have money to throw away.

I don't know what got into your head.

Some woman! Couldn't you spend it better?

Better? I'm grateful.

Why, is she the one that got me the job?

Let's go. Come on.

Let's go home, silly.

Hurry up, Bruno. It's almost 6:30.

I can't clean it well, because it's still dark.

- Dad, did you see what they've done? - What?

- It's dented. - Maybe it was already there.

No, it wasn't. This is where it got hit.

Who knows how they take care of them. They don't pay for the repairs!

- Shut up. - I'll shut up.

But I would have told them.

- Is my cap ready, Maria? - Yeah.

— What did you make us? — Omelette.

Let me see. Would you look at that!

- Handsome? - Yeah... you look like a cop.

Stop it! You're hurting me! Come on, stop it!

Will you behave? Stop it. You'll wake the baby.

Here, Bruno.

Omelette.

Let's go.

Bruno...

- Bye, Mum. - Bye, Maria.

- Bye. - Bye.

Bye, Bruno. See you tonight at 7:00. Wait for me here.

- Bye, Dad! - Bye.

- Bye, Dad! - Bye!

- Good morning. - Morning.

First, you give it a coat of glue... like this.

Then you put the poster over it like this.

Then you attach the poster like this

to flatten the poster and to smooth out the lumps.

Got it? Shut up, kid!

Because if you leave any lumps,

the inspector will see them and he'll fine you. Got it?

See, Ricci, to do this job, you've got to be very intelligent.

You must have a good eye and work fast.

Here, it's done. Let's go.

- I'll see you, Ricci. So long. - Thanks! Bye, have a nice day.

- Thief! Thief! - What happened?

Get in! Get in!

Go after him! Quick!

Go into the tunnel! I saw him!