Throwback Thursday: Bicycle Thieves (1948)

Bicycle Thieves is one of the first classic films I saw and I was completely marveled by it. Reminiscing the film, it still gives me goosebumps and still manages to compel me.

The film has been considered as the greatest film of all time by Sight & Sound just four years after its' release. Though it was not able to maintain the top spot, it still managed to be one of the top ten in British Film Institute's list of films you should see by the age of 14. Sadly, I was way beyond 14 when I saw it, but it was still great nonetheless.

Bicycle Thieves or otherwise known as Ladri di biciclette was an Italian film by directed by Vittorio De Sica released on 1948. The story is very simple; it tells of a poor father in search for his stolen bicycle all over a post-World War II Rome. Without this bicycle, he would get fired from his job and would not be able to provide for his family.

"Seems lame", was my first reaction upon reading the premise of the film but if there is one thing I learned over the past few years, never be too judge mental based on a movie's premise and trailer.

What I definitely love about the film is how it presented the life after the World War II. More importantly, how the people lived after the war. How their decisions affected not only their lives but also other people as well. Throughout the film you will see how there are different people just trying to get through their day. You will see how different people are struggling with their lives hoping for something good to come. 

Sadly, the film is not for everyone. What makes this film a bit tricky is the fact that on the surface, it's all about a man and his son searching in vain for his stolen bicycle. De Sica was wise enough to challenge how much a viewer would be able to understand and how much would he want to understand. He made us think outside the box. To take in more than what we see. Watching this with the goal of finding out whether the protagonist finds his bicycle or not will not help you in appreciating the film.

This masterpiece is indeed timeless. More than 50 years after its release, the film is still relevant in today's society. It mirrors it to the point of nostalgia and sadness that of all those years that passed, though not much has changed, hope still remains.

Throwback Thursday: Citizen Kane (1941)

The life of a lover of the arts and film cannot be guaranteed complete unless he has seen Orson Welles' masterpiece Citizen Kane. Citizen Kane has been considered as the best film for five consecutive times (1962-2002) based on Sight & Sound's poll of critics until 2012 wherein it was replaced by Hitchcock's Vertigo. 

Citizen Kane tells the story of a man named Charles Foster Kane whose who rose from rugs to riches and how his life was turned upside down for his search for power. The story is told in a flashback where a reporter is trying to figure out what the last words of Charles Kane, "Rosebud", meant. 

What I truly love about Citizen Kane is the characterization of Charles Foster Kane. There is emotional attachment to the viewer and Kane. You would feel and sympathize as you literally watch him grow. This emotional attachment and the mystery of 'Rosebud' would not only keep the viewers guessing and expectant but also caring of the situation that will happen soon to the protagonist.

There is are also great morals to the movie. Simple morals such as 'money can't buy us happiness' is explored and as the story goes deeper, so do the morals as we see them branch out to different lessons and aspects of life. We see how man can be manipulative and crude for the sake of power, we see man's transformation from being the mighty hero to the pitiful villain. And only in our darkest and final moments that we look back and ask ourselves if it was a life well-lived. 

For these reasons, I believe that Citizen Kane is indeed a work of art that left a huge impact in the movie industry. Personally, what I find really remarkable about it is its storytelling. But aside from that, its use of cinematography, special effects, and music served as a great inspiration for other classic films released during its time. 

Despite the technological advancements in the field of film today, Citizen Kane has left a legacy that will never be forgotten for many more years to come.