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Vittorio De Sica is widely regarded as a master in the realm of world cinema. As one of the Italian neorealism forerunners (in company with Roberto Rossellini and Luchino Visconti), De Sica concentrated on films that told stories about real people on real locations. He was fantastic at casting ordinary citizens for his lead roles --- particularly for his film Bicycle Thieves, which was recently been released via the Criterion Collection. The plot is simple: Antonio Ricci (Lamberto Maggiorani), a father in depressed, post-wwii Rome finally gets a job, which is everything, but he needs his bicyle. In order to provide for his family, he must get his bicycle back from the pawn broker, and to do that, his wife Maria (Lianella Carell) must pawn...

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Last week, EW published The 55 Essential Movies Kids Must Experience (Before Turning 13). Predictably, given that we published a post on the Internet whose headline contained a concrete number and the word “essential,” we got some impassioned feedback from readers—many of whom were eager to suggest additional great movies kids should see that we’d left out.

As we noted last week, “This isn’t a list of the 55 ‘best’ kids movies, nor a compendium of hidden gems. Rather, it’s a survival-guide syllabus of films that we all need to know to be able to speak the same pop-cultural language.

Vittorio De Sica, director of Bicycle Thieves (Ladri di biciclette), was a leading force in the neorealist movement in Italy. It’s no wonder that this 1948 film is the one people point to as the perfect example in the genre. A crowning achievement, not only in this particular genre but in film in general, De Sica’s film won an honorary Oscar in 1950 and was listed in many ‘best of’ lists, especially Sight & Sound’s poll for greatest film of all time by 1952, 4 years after it’s release. Since then it’s been regarded as one of the best films of all time and for good reason. It is a story that still resonates, even in today’s world.

Antonio (Lamberto Maggiorani) is a husband and a father who is desperate for a job. He goes to the local job club and as luck would have it, he gets an offer.

Filed under: Columns, Cinematical

Welcome to Where Everyone Has Gone Before, the weekly column where I continue my film education before your very eyes by seeking out and watching all of the movies I should have seen by now. I will first judge the movie before I've watched it, based entirely on its reputation (and my potentially misguided thoughts). Then I will give the movie a fair chance and actually watch it. You will laugh at me, you may condemn me, but you will never say I didn't try!

The Film: 'Bicycle Thieves' (1948), Dir. Vittorio De Sica

Starring: Lamberto Maggiorani, Enzo Staiola and Lianella Carell.

Why I Haven't Seen It Until Now: Well, I guess I haven't seen it because -- Wait! I'm turning the tables this week. How many of you have seen 'Bicycle Thieves' (or as it's commonly known as in North America, 'The Bicycle Thief')? C'mon.