Bicycle Thief Analysis

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In The Bicycle Thief, Antonio Ricci’s unfortunate circumstances cause his priorities and values to alter throughout the movie. For the most part, he illustrates his actions to be innocent until the desperation of his situation overwhelms him. How far can someone take the pressure until they break? Personal values are very dependant on circumstances. The difference in someone’s priorities is very apparent once their livelihood is in jeopardy. In the movie, Antonio’s son Bruno represents his initial personal values and he slowly starts to feel the wrath of Antonio’s increasing despair. When we think of desperation, we tend to think that we would do anything to get what we want. Once a feeling of hopelessness sets in, the entire personality of a person can change. It can be fast or slow but eventually everybody eventually makes sacrifices to maintain their lifestyle. In the movie the loss of his bike leads Antonio on a path in a direction he could not have anticipated. His shift in principles is slow but visible. As soon as his bicycle is take we see a much more aggressive Antonio than the person we started with. When the bike is stolen we see him leap into action in a frantic manner. He sprints down the street determined to retrieve what is his. When chasing fails, Antonio heads directly to the police for help. When they turn him away without so much as a pat on the back, the magnitude of his situation first starts to set in. He has to find his bike himself or go home jobless to his wife and children. It only takes one discouraging realization to effectively change the entire makeup of a person. Initially Antonio is portrayed as a devoted family man who is happy to have a job to help provide for the family he adores. When the loss of his bike threatens that job his excitement disappears. He is so hurt he cannot even face his wife. He takes his son home and

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