A Conversation about Moving Images from the Last Century into the Next.
Sunday, March 11, 2018
Fides
When Antonio's bicycle is stolen, he loses more than a bike. The brand name of the bicycle "Fides" (Faith in Latin) suggest it has symbolic value. What is the significance of that symbol? What does Antonio lose? Are there other symbols in this film?
The significance of the symbol fides, meaning faith, displays the faith and hope that Antonio had in saving not only his bike, but his job and his family. The movie follows the journey of Antonio, and his son, Bruno, on their mission to retrieve Antonio’s stolen bicycle. The bicycle is extremely important to Antonio because he spent a good amount of money on it and he needs it for his job. His job that he recently secured requires a bike in order to put up posters, and the money he earns is the main source of income to his family. When the bike is stole, he realizes the importance and has faith that his son and he with get the bike back. Unfortunately, the faith and hope that the bike conveys to Antonio’s mindset is a false feeling because it pushes him to forget the motivation, and actually finds faith that he will be able to successfully steal a bike to continue to work at his job. When his faith switches to another bike, he tries to steal this bike and is subsequently caught and brought away. Due to this desperation, Antonio loses not only his bike, but quite possibly his family, and especially his sons respect due to the fact that he witness his dad commit a crime. The unfortunate part of the situation, is that the faith and hope in his bike transferred over the same feelings towards successfully stealing someone else’s bike. This displays that his desperation to help his family survive caused him to actually become a thief, rather than a loyal and dedicated father.
In the film Bicycle Thieves Antonio’s bike means much more to him than just a way to get around. In the beginning of the film Antonio does not have a job and way to support his family. When he is finally offered a job he needs a bike to be able to take it. Thus, the bike represents a secure job for Antonio. Meaning his job represents a stable income, a way to support his family, stability in his marriage, and a future for his son. While Antonio has his bike and job, he is happy and excited because he has faith (fides) in his ability to support his family. When Antonio’s bike is stolen while he is working, his faith in his ability to provide for his family slowly diminishes. He goes on a city wide search for his bike with his son, Bruno, who represents why he needs his bike, to support his family. In the beginning of his search Antonio is fairly confident he will find his bike. For example, when they search the bike markets he ask vendors if they have seen his fides, his faith, he is optimistic at first but no one can find it. After this original search, his faith diminishes and he becomes more desperate. His desperateness comes to a climax when Antonio becomes what he hates, a bicycle thief himself. After this point in the film he completely gives up on his fides (faith) and returns home with no bicycle and no way to provide for his family.
Losing the bicycle was losing the chance for a better life for Antonio and his family. The setting of this movie takes place after World War II when many people struggled to find work. Antonio had been waiting a long time for a job opportunity to open up so that he could make some money and provide for his family but just as things seemed to be improving in his life, the bike was stolen. The bicycle was Antonio’s key to unlock a better life and with this, he could escape poverty, become employed, and create a better life for him and his family. Unfortunately, all of this was lost with the bicycle. For this reason, Antonio was justified in his desperate search for the bicycle. It makes perfect sense that Antonio would not want to give up the search for his bike but along this journey, he becomes blinded by the need for a better life and loses sight of what is most important in life, family. The scene were the boy is drowning in the river signifies that Antonio has put the search for the bicycle in front of his own child. Antonio abandons Bruno and demands that he stays on a bridge while Antonio continues the search for his stolen bike. Just after Antonio leaves, there is shouting from the riverbank. A boy is drowning and Antonio immediately thinks that it is Bruno. After he learns that it is not his son, he realizes that the bicycle has distracted him from his true priorities in life. At the end of the movie, Antonio loses all hope of finding his bicycle and turns to stealing a new one. This plan does not work out and Antonio is caught. Again, Antonio loses sight of what is truly important in life. He is willing to break his own morals and become the man that originally caused him so much despair just for the hope of a better life.
The significance of the symbol fides, meaning faith, displays the faith and hope that Antonio had in saving not only his bike, but his job and his family. The movie follows the journey of Antonio, and his son, Bruno, on their mission to retrieve Antonio’s stolen bicycle. The bicycle is extremely important to Antonio because he spent a good amount of money on it and he needs it for his job. His job that he recently secured requires a bike in order to put up posters, and the money he earns is the main source of income to his family. When the bike is stole, he realizes the importance and has faith that his son and he with get the bike back. Unfortunately, the faith and hope that the bike conveys to Antonio’s mindset is a false feeling because it pushes him to forget the motivation, and actually finds faith that he will be able to successfully steal a bike to continue to work at his job. When his faith switches to another bike, he tries to steal this bike and is subsequently caught and brought away. Due to this desperation, Antonio loses not only his bike, but quite possibly his family, and especially his sons respect due to the fact that he witness his dad commit a crime. The unfortunate part of the situation, is that the faith and hope in his bike transferred over the same feelings towards successfully stealing someone else’s bike. This displays that his desperation to help his family survive caused him to actually become a thief, rather than a loyal and dedicated father.
ReplyDeleteIn the film Bicycle Thieves Antonio’s bike means much more to him than just a way to get around. In the beginning of the film Antonio does not have a job and way to support his family. When he is finally offered a job he needs a bike to be able to take it. Thus, the bike represents a secure job for Antonio. Meaning his job represents a stable income, a way to support his family, stability in his marriage, and a future for his son. While Antonio has his bike and job, he is happy and excited because he has faith (fides) in his ability to support his family. When Antonio’s bike is stolen while he is working, his faith in his ability to provide for his family slowly diminishes. He goes on a city wide search for his bike with his son, Bruno, who represents why he needs his bike, to support his family. In the beginning of his search Antonio is fairly confident he will find his bike. For example, when they search the bike markets he ask vendors if they have seen his fides, his faith, he is optimistic at first but no one can find it. After this original search, his faith diminishes and he becomes more desperate. His desperateness comes to a climax when Antonio becomes what he hates, a bicycle thief himself. After this point in the film he completely gives up on his fides (faith) and returns home with no bicycle and no way to provide for his family.
ReplyDeleteLosing the bicycle was losing the chance for a better life for Antonio and his family. The setting of this movie takes place after World War II when many people struggled to find work. Antonio had been waiting a long time for a job opportunity to open up so that he could make some money and provide for his family but just as things seemed to be improving in his life, the bike was stolen. The bicycle was Antonio’s key to unlock a better life and with this, he could escape poverty, become employed, and create a better life for him and his family. Unfortunately, all of this was lost with the bicycle. For this reason, Antonio was justified in his desperate search for the bicycle. It makes perfect sense that Antonio would not want to give up the search for his bike but along this journey, he becomes blinded by the need for a better life and loses sight of what is most important in life, family. The scene were the boy is drowning in the river signifies that Antonio has put the search for the bicycle in front of his own child. Antonio abandons Bruno and demands that he stays on a bridge while Antonio continues the search for his stolen bike. Just after Antonio leaves, there is shouting from the riverbank. A boy is drowning and Antonio immediately thinks that it is Bruno. After he learns that it is not his son, he realizes that the bicycle has distracted him from his true priorities in life. At the end of the movie, Antonio loses all hope of finding his bicycle and turns to stealing a new one. This plan does not work out and Antonio is caught. Again, Antonio loses sight of what is truly important in life. He is willing to break his own morals and become the man that originally caused him so much despair just for the hope of a better life.
ReplyDelete