Sunday, March 11, 2018
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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The film suggests that Italian families are tightly knit and tend to stick together. I thing that the communities sin the end represent the closeness of everyone in the city, but I think that Antonio and Bruno are very much alike these common ideas. Bruno follows his father not only for support, but because he wants to be a man and involved in the search for the bike. Antonio doesn’t always view Bruno as a child though, sometime I think he forgets that he is small and still learning. Mainly because when they visit the first market Antonio says Bruno know the bike better than anyone else. This shows that Antonio clearly understand the value of Bruno in the situation and views him as another man. But when things get ruff, Antonio can’t see through Bruno’s childish and immature feature. He has to be a tough father when he hits Bruno, but I think it was to put him back into his place as the child and not as the leader in the situation. Bruno take after his father leadership in the situation and thinks that he should be just as worried and upset by the stolen bike as his father. I also think that Bruno was mainly upset at the end of the film not because he was scared, but because he was disappointed in his father for becoming the thing he has been teaching Bruno is wrong, and Bruno doesn’t want to go down that path.
ReplyDeleteThe relationship of Antonio and Bruno Ricci throughout the story of Bicycle Thieves, while starting out strong, takes a turn for the worst after Antonio goes against everything he once believed in. Antonio and Bruno started off as great companions. After Antonio got the job and his bike, Bruno was ecstatic, working all night on his father’s bike so it would be ready to ride the next day. When the morning came, Bruno and Antonio put on almost matching uniforms and even had the same lunch. They seemed very happy and excited for starting their new life together. Unfortunately, once Antonio loses his bike, Antonio’s morale begins to go down and with that, the relationship begins to deteriorate. At first, the two work together to try to find the bike but as the film goes on, they begin to split up more and have a harder time reconnecting. There is one place in the market where Antonio and Bruno split up to try to find the different parts of the bike. Antonio doesn’t even realize that Bruno is being pestered by a creepy looking man and doesn’t do anything about it. Antonio also starts to become selfish, ignoring Bruno and his feelings. After pursuing the old man from the church, Bruno gets angry with his father for losing the man so Antonio hits him in the face. Another example is when they are walking across the street as cars pass by. Antonio rushes across the street and when Bruno tries to follow, he is almost hit by multiple cars. All of these examples, leading up to when Antonio steals the bike, are terrible for Bruno and his development. While he was in this situation, Antonio had to think of other people than just himself. He has a son who looks up to him and when Antonio does something wrong, Bruno is likely to follow in his footsteps.
ReplyDeleteThe film, The Bicycle Thief (Thieves), portrays the coming of age of the character Bruno. With his maturation, the film also indicates that as children gain an understanding of the world, they begin to realize the imperfections in their parents. In the beginning of the film, Bruno’s not yet fully matured stage, we see a son who is entranced by the character of his father – copying his every action, fashion sense, and manner. I would say that the most noticiable moment of this is when Antonio has just brought his bike back home and is preparing to go to work. In this scene, Bruno carefully watches every sleight of hand made by his father and then carefully follows such as putting on his hat, making sure his clothes are straight just like Antonio’s, and cleaning the bike as best he could. Bruno beams in admiration for his father. As we see when Bruno and Antonio ride to work, Bruno is very proud to not only have a bicycle again but also just to be associated with his father. However, this does not last forever. As we later see, that opinion is drastically altered to a point where Bruno is almost ashamed to be seen with Antonio. The first scene in which Bruno starts to loose respect for is father, is the scene in which Antonio is causing a big commotion as he believes he has found the thief. At first, when Antonio and Bruno pursue the supposed thief, Bruno is firmly on his father’s side and is proud of him for being so brave. However, later, when Antonio comes very close to getting beat up and then gets taunted and yelled out by the whole crowd of people, Bruno begins to appear less pleased with his father’s behavior. In addition, during and after this scene, Antonio seems to have no regard for Bruno’s safety. First, he leaves Bruno alone in the middle of the mob – who might very well be the mafia. Then second, as they are walking across the street, Antonio does not even pause for his son – who is almost hit multiple times by multiple cars. However, the most eye-opening moment for Bruno that his father was not as great as he’d thought, was the moment he saw his father steal a bike and get chased down. In this moment, we see a close up of Bruno’s face, and then another one when he runs up to his father screaming and crying. Moreover, it is through this seen that the film presents the idea that with maturity comes realization.
ReplyDeleteThroughout the film we see the relationship between Bruno and Antonio evolve and change. Bruno looks up to his dad like he can do no wrong, and copies the things that he does. We see this change a little bit over the course of the movie through Antonio’s actions. He becomes what he is trying to find and Bruno is watch this the whole time. Bruno’s view of his father has now to change and that is something that can never be undone. But because Bruno loves his father, and still respects him even after all of the things that he has done wrong in the film, he holds his hand as him and his father walk home shamed by his attempted theft. This film is trying to comment on how a father son relationship is a hard one to break apart. There were many times in the movie where Bruno and his father did not get along, but they stuck together till the end because of that strong connection they have. This again is evident in the film when we see Bruno reach for his father’s hand even though he just committed the crime that he told him was not right. While this film is about crime and the search to find it, I think at the end of the day it is really about family and the sacrifices we make to keep family together. The Mother gave up her sheets, Bruno gave up his time, and Antonio gave up his innocence and became what he hated in the world. But they did all these things for family and showed what was most important.
ReplyDeleteI feel like throughout the film we see many scenes that show that the relationship between Antonio and Bruno is devolving through their journey to find the bike. At the beginning of the film, Antonio and Bruno have a good relationship. Bruno helps work on the bike, they talk a lot, Antonio rides on the bike with Bruno, and the two talk a lot. At the beginning of the film, the two have a good father-son relationship. However, throughout the movie their relationship devolves, and it's because of Antonio's obsession with finding the bike. Antonio wants the bike so that he can get more money and give his son the life he deserves. But it's funny because Antonio wants a good life for Bruno, but gets so caught up trying to find the bike to give Bruno a good life that he doesn't realize Bruno's life is in danger multiple times throughout the film. One example is when Antonio and Bruno are on the bridge. Antonio tells Bruno to wait on the bridge and Antonio leaves him alone to go search the area for information on his missing bike. And then people start freaking out saying that a boy is drowning in the water below the bridge, and Antonio gets really worried and runs to the bottom of the bridge. It turns out it wasn't Bruno, but it easily could have been Bruno who was drowning. Another example of Antonio unintentionally putting Bruno's life in danger was when they were at the market and Antonio was looking around at all the bikes. While Antonio was looking, Bruno was approached by a creepy man who seemed to have the intention to kidnap Bruno. Bruno could have been kidnapped because Antonio wasn't keeping a close eye on his son. All in all, Antonio is so obsessed with finding the bike so that he can give his family a better life, that he actually ends up putting his son in a lot of danger throughout the journey. Antonio is so focused on finding the bike that he is completely unaware to the danger his son is in. Antonio wants a good life for his family, but he becomes blind to the safety of his family while trying to achieve his goal.
ReplyDeleteA father and son relationship is something that many fathers have with their sons as long as they are involved in their lives. Over the course of the film, the father and son can be seen developing the movie, along with leaving the viewer to question the true impact of the father and son relationship. During the film, the father and son relationship can be seen changing for the worst. The father and son can first be seen when they are in the apartment after the father got the bike back and the son can be seen very interested in the bike kind of like the father was. The son looked up to the father and wanted to do the same thing that the father did and admired the same things. That was when the father relationship can be seen as healthy as the movie goes on the relationship can be seen dissolving and getting worse. The father can be seen ignoring his son. The father leaves his son on top of a very high bridge when he needs to look for the bike and never thought of all of the danger that the son might be in. After the father hears that there was a little boy that was drowning the father came over to see if it was his son. This was showing the neglect that the father was showing towards his son. As the movie progressed the father and son relationship kept getting worse and worse and by the end of the movie the father was going back on all that he told his son when he tried to steal the bike. After that, the father left the son with this strange man that he seemingly does not recognize. Another thing that the movie made the viewer question of what is the impact that a father can have on a son. The son can be seen doing anything that his father asked him. The thing that makes me question the relationship is whether or not the father can make the son do something that is bad and he told the son never to do. This is when the father steals the bike the son clearly follows the father and wants to do everything with him. This makes me wonder is it the father's job to make sure that his son does bad things making the father and the son relationship and the impact that it will have on his son.
ReplyDeleteYour parents – the people you look up to, admire and respect the ones that set the example of how to be an adult. From birth, your parents are ones that teach you right from wrong, and one of the ways to learn is by modeling their behavior. The first half of the film The Bicycle Thief highlights this parent-child interaction when they show the relationship between Antonio and Bruno. Bruno is shown looking up to his father, modeling his actions and following him around, to demonstrate that he had a nearly perfect image of his father; however, this image changes dramatically over the course of the movie. The fall from grace seen at the end of the movie can be interpreted as the movies way of saying, part of growing up involves shattering the perfect image you have of your parents. However, the correct takeaway is that while growing up we learn from our parents that not everyone is perfect all the time and when we make mistakes we need support to make it through. For example, when Bruno watches his dad being humiliated after attempting to steal a bike, at first we see him looking very disappointed in his father. This is obviously because the person he once thought was basically perfect just did something morally wrong, but rather than staying disappointed in his father, he learns at that moment the people make mistakes and offers to support his dad by holding his hand. This is the take away from the movie, nobodies perfect, and what better way to learn that lesson as a kid than to watch someone perfect to make a mistake.
ReplyDeleteThroughout the film Bruno is seen consistently by his father’s side during the whole process of trying to find the stolen bike. It is undeniable that why Antonio searches for his bike he becomes neglectful of Bruno. This can be seen when Antonio is running across the street while Bruno is left behind to dodge cars. Despite his father’s negligence Bruno is determined to rise to the occasion and help his father find the bike. Not only does Bruno try to help the situation he succeeds in helping his father many times throughout the journey. This causes Bruno to take on a fatherly role. For example, when Antonio accuses a man of stealing his bike and is about to get beat up my mobsters, Bruno steps in and prevents the attack. This role reversal shows that parents can rely on their children just as much as children rely on their parents. This film also calls into question peoples priorities. Antonio spends so much time trying to find the bike that he lets his relationship suffer with Bruno. Having a father prioritize work over family is a typical story featured in many movies in which the children resent their father over their negligence. However, in Bicycle Thefts Bruno does not give up on Antonio making him appear heroic in this film making it stand out from other stories like this. Overall I think their relationship is supposed to show that children have the power to help their parents more than society gives them credit and that at the end of the day family is more important than material items.
ReplyDeleteThe Bicycle Thief (Thieves), a film that’s plot directly reflects the title, also portrays an idea which is the importance of a father son relationship. Growing up you naturally learn things such as how to walk, how to talk, and how to eat, however; Parents are the people who mold your actions and discipline in life. At the start of the film we meet Antonio, a hard-working man with a son named Bruno. Throughout the film the director progresses the characters in an interesting way. Antonio, having his bike stolen goes from being the protagonist to the antagonist by becoming a thief himself. Throughout this whole process his son, Bruno, sees the action of his father. Kids learn from their parent’s actions, but Bruno does not let this affect him. He continues to be a good kid who knows his right from wrong, regardless of the decisions his father makes. This develops two interesting points which are how important is the role of a parent figure and the evolution of a relationship. The relationship Antonio had with Bruno was a strong, but poor one. In my opinion he tried everything possible as a father to do well, but he did not have the time, money, or patience to do so and because of this we see a progression downwards in the relationship between Bruno and Antonio. Yet through all of this Bruno sticks to the discipline that is far greater than expected from a child his age. Overall this shows the viewers that a relationship is only as strong as the bond between the two, and because of this week bond Bruno did not follow in the footsteps of his father.
ReplyDeleteIn in the movie Bicycle Thieves, the viewers can see Antonio and Bruno’s father-son relationship change throughout the film. It becomes obvious very quickly that the two care for each other; they share happy moments in the beginning of the first day of Antonio’s job, and we can see Bruno imitating his father’s actions. However, when Antonio’s bicycle is stolen that day, their relationship encounters some turbulence. Antonio suddenly begins to neglect Bruno and, although unintentionally, exposes him to danger, and he even physically lashes out at him in frustration. Despite this, though, the two are still shown to be close at the end at the movie when they walk together, defeated, among a bustling crowd. And so Antonio and Bruno’s relationship has an aspect of a traditional father-son relationship: a bond that lasts through everything. However, the traditional definition is also skewed slightly. Instead of the father caring for the son, the opposite is true part or all of the time. Bruno is shown to be quite independent and comes to his father’s aid, most notably when he subdues a mob threatening Antonio by retrieving a police officer. In this way, Bicycle Thieves shows a traditional, unbreakable father-son relationship but places the father and son in the same role where they both care for and protect each other.
ReplyDeleteWithin the film “Bicycle Thieves” there is a strong emphasis on the father son relationship between Antonio and Bruno. As the film begins their father son relationship is more like Bruno Admiring his father like someone he wishes to grow up to be like. Bruno would mirror his father’s actions from putting on clothes to walking with him for the vast majority of the film. They seem like an inseparable pair that could get anything done that they put their mind to. However, as the film goes on and the main characters continue to fail time and time again this relationship begins to worsen with Bruno seemingly losing faith in his father especially after being hit by the man he trusted most in his life. This downward spiral continues to go on until finally at the end of the film Antonio decides to attempt to steal a bike breaking the last of his sons trust and admiration. This shows that a father son relationship should be one of trust and support, and without these two necessary factors the relationship will begin to sour.
ReplyDeleteThis film isn't an insight into the dynamic between father and son, but rather a social commentary on how this relationship changes based on socioeconomic factors. Antonio and Bruno at the beginning have a terrific relationship that mirrors the ideal dynamic between father and son. Bruno adores his father, admiring his hard working tendencies. Antonio during this part of the film, recently received a job offer. On his first day, the viewer can see Antonio and Bruno preparing for a day of work. It's clear that Bruno admires his father, dressing the same as him and even copying some of his tendencies. Their relationship begins to become strained not because they have issues with one another, but because of the unfortunate circumstances that begin to plague Antonio. After losing his bike, Antonio becomes obsessed with finding his property not just because he doesn't want to lose his job, but also because he wants to be able to support Bruno and the rest of his family. Bruno and Antonio go on a manhunt for the thief in order to find his lost bike, and as the hunt progresses things begin to change. Antonio becomes obsessed with getting his bike back, so much that he completely forgets about his son. Following the events in the church, Antonio leaves Bruno by a bridge while he pursues the old man. He doesn't realize that he's putting his young son in danger by not looking after him. It's not until another young boy falls into the river that he realizes that he just left a little boy all by himself. Antonio's ignorance of his parental duties isn't uncommon during the course of the film. During his confrontation with the thief, Antonio gets so entangled in the problem that Bruno has to call the police to save his father from getting beaten up. Antonio's lack of awareness of his job to protect his son as his father isn't because he's a bad dad. The viewer sees earlier in the film how Antonio was a loving and caring father to his son. What changed from the beginning to the end was the loss of his bike and as a result his job. Antonio wasn't able to be a good father because he understood that him and his family's whole lifestyle was at risk with the loss of the bike. This unnecessary stress causes Bruno to place the bike issue as the front and center problem in his life. Even though he puts his son in harms way, he was unconsciously thinking about his son when did so because he was trying to protect their livelihoods by recovering the bike. Everything Antonio does in this film is for his family, even when it may appear that he completely ignores them. His desperate attempt to steal another person's bicycle shouldn't be portrayed as a lost man, but rather one is just trying to help his family survive in the lower-class. Antonio isn't a bad father to Bruno, and Bicycle Thieves shows how Antonio is only human and trying to do the best for his family.
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