and by the way, since this thread is about classic films and certainly TheBycicleThief belongs to the category, a great, as-yet-unknown De Sica anecdote: De Sica's main inspiration for the film was an autobiographical episode. De Sica's father was a very nice higher middle class man who encountered some bad luck and found himself (and his family) with very little money. so he owed money to many shopkeepers, to feed his family. until one day, when Vittorio was a little kid, one of the shopkeepers came to the De Sica home, screaming, savagely insulting the father in front of his family to try to shame him into paying his small debt. so little Vittorio witnessed that terrible humiliation helplessly suffered by his beloved father. and years later it was the inspiration for the simple, heartbreaking story of a man wo doesn't want to allow poverty -- and bad luck -- to humiliate him in front of his little son.
so in a way the whole movie is a love letter from De Sica to his by-then-deceased dad.
OK, this was the little story. hope you liked it.
for those who haven't seen the film, please do.
those who have already -- watch it again.
:)
and again hama7, thanks for the link posted by matteo at 3:09 PM on April 2, 2004
This is good.
::runs off to throw many of these that I had forgotten into my Netflix queue:: posted by John Kenneth Fisher at 3:49 PM on April 2, 2004
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posted by Gyan at 12:57 PM on April 2, 2004