Back-to-back postwar bangers: De Sica’s Bicycle Thieves (1948) and Kubrick’s Paths of Glory (1957).
It was my first time watching Bicycle Thieves, and it was marvelous. A neorealist urban crawler, comprised of (allegedly) mostly non-actors (directed by an actor), this film found its footing almost immediately to the backdrop of an enchanting, enigmatic Rome. For a mere 89 minutes, we’re along for a succinct, fast-moving ride following a struggling, stubborn family man who fitfully reckons with the stolen hope of finally landing a stable job in postwar Italy, along with the city’s mischievous machinations that seemingly work against him up until his harrowing end-scene decision.
I gathered, like a few films that tread into the sub-genre of child and parent adventures, this one will definitely yield more rewards in repeat viewings. Got the sense immediately that it was trying to tell us that our protagonist was being harshly (if unwittingly) judged by his own son, much like the audience witnessing his slowly unraveling tragedy.
And so, unintentionally, I followed this film with another fairly short but punctual tragedy that released eight years later. Kubrick’s second ‘major’ release, Paths of Glory is a film I hadn’t watched since the WarnerBros Kubrick Collection DVD release edition back… when I was in high school? But what a film. Holds up exceptionally well, particularly with Criterion’s 4K release — the transfer looks great. Even better is the way this film operates, basically across three acts, detailed a slow roll of antiwar horror as we following a mad order to mount an impossible advance uphill, witness the inevitable failure, and then follow the dark antics of crucifying three men made examples for cowardice.
Though thoroughly different films, you feel an almost similar frequency of sadness after finishing both.
