Bicycle Thieves

Bicycle thieves is one of the best classical movies I have seen. I wanted to watch this movie for a long time and don't know why I didn't watch this till now. Though I hate piracy I even got lucky once with an online website but there was no English subtitle. Italian is a nice language, but movie isn't interesting if you don't understand what people are talking. My thanks to Netflix; it was a great opportunity to see this movie.

The movie is about a man struggling to find a job during post depression of WW2 and gets one that needs a bicycle. His wife scratches for very few nice things they have at home and they both get thier bicycle back from pawn shop. Things look promising. He, his wife and little son are happy for this surprising new start. There is a new confidence in their life. But the tragedy is, it's very short lived. In day light, while on his first day work, his bicycle gets stolen. It happens right before his eyes and he is unable to chase and stop the young man fleeing with his bicycle. He knows what that bicycle means to him and how badly he needs this job. Movie gets into a journey of human feelings while he and his little son sets off to find his bicycle. Their eyes show the desperate feelings they have, the hope, the disappointment and determination to go every bit to find that bicycle. Movie also takes you to a real snap shot of Rome in 1949. We cannot imagine Rome with so many bicycles (is it still like this?). on the road like Chennai, only difference being men wearing suit, hat and shoes. The road side shops, crowd pushing into the bus and free lunch mass in the church gives a glimpse of people's life during that time. It's an experience to watch this movie fully shot outdoors. Finally the man makes a desperate attempt to steal a bicycle and gets caught and beaten up before his son. Realizing the huge mistake he had done, the man hold his son's hand and walks away from crowd slowly...movie ends here..not sure if they found their bicycle and how things went ahead. ...

Stolen bicycle is just an analogy. We all go through a turmoil of events in our life and face it along with our family. We don't have time to rehearse and train our emotions at that time. We turn into what jumps out of us. But a composed and calm thought is always possible when there is a loving wife and little girl to hold your hands at all the time.

Ok..no sentiments here and that last line is not to impress my wife. That emotion came just off me.

Its worth watching this movie anytime

Movie did kindle my bicycle days memory. My elder brother, now a doctor settled in UK, used to take me in his bicycle during school days. We three, my brother, sister and I went to the same school. For 4-5 years I went to the school sitting in the back carrier with legs folded on the sliding rod, it was fun (Hello Kumana anna- do you remember that cycle?). Jabaraj annan, a cousin of mine taught cycle for me and few of my cousins of my age. We used to rent cycles @ 50 paise and for 30 mins. Not sure why Jabaraj annan took this initiative but its a great thing he did and we all need to thank him. I dont remember when but at some point my sister's cycle was given to me. I took that to Pazhani Methi Vandi Nilayam and gave it a fresh and shiny look. It didn't have the front bar and was easy to ride. This shop was right opposite to "Pugazhenthi Fancy Store" a business my father ran for a very short time. I kept watching my first cycle getting ready in the shop from my fancy store for three days. After this I got a new Hero Ranger bike which I had till school and eventually switched over to real bike on my own. There are many memorable cycle trips along with friends, including regular rides with my friends on the way to back to home from school and or from tuition class. Many at times it was a pleasure to not to ride but stroll the cycle slowly and walk along with friends, espeically with my school girl friends.

May be when I am in India for vacation, I will take a cycle and go around Thiruvanmiyur and go down my memory lane much more (along with million things I have planned). Do anyone want to join?