Monday, March 11, 2019
Like Father, Like Son?
Many of you commented in class about the relationship between Antonio and Bruno. Bruno admires his father at the beginning of the film, imitates his gestures and actions, looks at him with admiration. Yet the search for Antonio's bicycle puts a strain on that relationship. Antonio often fails to notice that Bruno is in harm's way and even strikes him. Furthermore, Bruno watches as Antonio himself becomes a bicycle thief and is humiliated by a crowd. What do you make of this relationship How does it evolve (or devolve) over the course of the film? What does the film tells us about fathers and sons? About family?
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Throughout this film I think the relationship of Antonio and his family slowly deteriorates as Antonio begins to focus more on the materialistic things of life, such as the bicycle that determines many characteristic things about him and how his family will live, as a result of societal pressures, rather than his own family. Before Antonio’s bicycle is stolen, he lives happily with his family as he, his son, and wife all work together to earn money for food, and other necessities they need to survive. Although the situation they are in is not great, the fact that the family has the support of one another is what makes their situation bearable. On the flip side, when Antonio’s bicycle is stolen, he feels that suddenly the place he had earned in society with the help of his job, was suddenly taken away from him. At the time, society gave men the responsibility to earn the majority of money for their families, as we see when the group of men are gathered together as they wait to hear who will receive the next job, therefore this societal pressure to have a stable job and care for your family was weighing down on Antonio and the relationship he had with his family. Over the course of this film, Antonio’s quest for his bicycle is strongly linked to his dignity and the money he could be earning for his family, and when he doesn’t receive his bicycle back all of these elements are abandoned. In conclusion, the film is telling us that societal pressures put on individuals living in poverty can lead them to feel helpless since many of them have limited resources to be successful. Ultimately, resulting in the poor individuals isolating themselves from their family if they are not living up to the standards set by society that expect men to have jobs even though the government is not giving many of them the opportunity, and care for their families when they are not able to get a job.
ReplyDeleteThe Bicycle Thieves shows the audiences that fathers and sons are more alike than they may believe and will always share a special bond. In the beginning of the film, there is the scene where Antonio and Bruno are getting ready for their day. They are both wearing almost the same outfit and have the same lunch. They work in perfect unison and Bruno fixes Antonio’s bike. At this time, Bruno tends to literally and metaphorically look up to his dad in every possible way. He sees that his dad is working hard to find a job so that he can provide for his wife and children. However, throughout the film, Bruno’s admiration towards his father seems to fade slightly. After his father makes some questionable choices, like when he hits his son and especially when he steals the bike, Bruno losses faith in his dad for a short period. Bruno is afraid that he will end up like his dad, so he takes it upon himself to make sure that he is not. He saves his dad from the wrath of the crowd by making sure that they do not send him to jail. He does this because even though his dad made some poor choices when looking for his bike, Bruno knows that his dad is still the same man that helps him with his hair in the morning. Bruno is trying to remind his dad that he needs to set a good example for his son because he notices everything he does. This lesson applies to many families outside the film because everyone makes mistakes, but the most important part about a family is that they are able to forgive each other at the end of the day.
ReplyDeleteThe father and son relationship is a fragile one based upon a trust that Antonio breaks throughout the film, weakening his bond with his son. At the beginning of the film, Bruno proudly watches his father repair the bike wishing to be just like him. However, as the film progresses, Bruno sees his father stoop to lower and lower levels to retrieve his bike and Bruno’s image of his father goes with it. Bruno loses trust that his father is truly a man to look up to, and this culminates in his father’s stealing of the bike, completely destroying what little faith he has in his dad. This movie specifically speaks to the fragility of this trust and childhood wonder. One action or inaction can irreparably damage those feelings, and leave the child disillusioned with someone who they idolized. This serves as a stepping stone for Bruno out of the age of wonder and into an age of oedipal competition with his father, where their relationship will become tenuous and rocky. This film shows us the strength of the connection with mother and son against the strength of connection of mother and son. The fatherly bond is depends heavily on father’s commanding strength over their sons, while the maternal relationship does not. Naturally, when Antonio shows various mental and physical weaknesses throughout the film, Bruno is less and less impressed by his father. Antonio seems to notice the veil being lifted from his son’s eyes in the way Bruno responds to him. When Antonio feels as though he is losing power in the relationship, he hits Bruno to establish dominance, furthering the rift between them.
ReplyDeleteBicycle Thieves, by Vittorio De Sica, takes place post- World War II Rome with a father and son, Antonia and Bruno, in search for their stolen bicycle. Antonia recently got the bike, necessary for his new job of posting advertising bills around town. Therefore, without the bike he cannot work, and will not be able to provide for his family. Antonio and Bruno go on a mission to find the bike, where some frustration emerges between them. Bruno, a young child, looks up to his father and loves him This gives the relationship of an unbreakable bond between a father and a son. Antonio goes through points where he finds Bruno’s actions and comments to get into the way of finding the bike. He even strikes him, making Bruno upset. Although as they continue to stick together, Bruno gets over it fairly quick. This was a time where these actions may have been more acceptable than nowadays, so I do not particularly find it surprising. Antonio is only this frustrated, because it is extremely important for him to find the bike, so that he can provide for Bruno and his family. Bruno sees himself that the desperation turns his father into a bicycle thief himself. When Antonio starts to be taken away, he screams for his father. So even through the wrong doings, Bruno will always stick by his father. Antonio’s actions come out of love for his son. While conflicts emerge between Antonio and Bruno, their love for each other as family is still unbreakable.
ReplyDeleteA son is born to love his father. Often biologically programmed to imitate and idolize their father, a boy has no other method of learning some skills in life. Bruno is one of these boys, often shown taking heavy interest in his father’s life/work in the beginning of the movie. Unfortunately, over the course of the movie, the family’s financial situation is put into jeopardy when Antonio’s bicycle is stolen. Due to the nature of his job as a poster man, without his bike, he guaranteed to be fired. Because of the dire situation, Antonio, who has employed the help of his son Bruno, begins to lash out due to the stress of the situation. Antonio strikes Bruno, repeatedly yells at him, and even steals in front of him. Although it seems to be strained, the relationship between Antonio and Bruno still continues to stand despite the horrible examples Antonio demonstrates. I think that the relationship between a father and son can truly never die because a son is always tied to his father. All be it that the relationship shown in the film Bicycle Thieves, is unhealthy and dangerous for Bruno at points, it is still a relationship ultimately built on love. This film shows this through Bruno’s unwavering love for his father. Although right after Antonio strikes Bruno, he is upset and threatens to leave, Bruno ultimately comes back around and loves his father, even standing by him after Antonio’s attempt to steal the bicycle in the end, which ultimately saves Antonio from legal trouble.
ReplyDelete