Question

Reflection on how Bicycle Thieves film and ugly dirty and bad film seen portray poverty, and in which ways do these different representations of poverty compare?

Answer 1

Note: This response is in UK English, please paste the response to MS Word and you should be able to spot discrepancies easily. You may elaborate the answer based on personal views or your classwork if necessary.

(Answer) In both films, the central characters that the story is focused on are, financially poor. They belong to the labour class of society and face trials because of their poverty. The problems and choices they face are probably relatable to individuals of that stratum as the films have themes of “neorealism.”

‘Ugly, Dirty and Bad’ is based in Rome where a poor family indulges in prostitution, thievery and are willing to do almost anything to acquire pecuniary benefits. When one of the family members loses their eye, the government compensation is a large amount of money. This money is well sought after and the family members are even willing to kill each other for it.

The film ‘Bicycle Thief’ showcases a father and son who live in derelict conditions because of their poverty. The father, who had been jobless for about two years, finally gets a job to stick up posters all across the town. He is commissioned a bicycle for this job, which is stolen on the first day. Although this may seem like a negligible problem, it is one that means much more to this poor family of two. The father finally catches a break by getting this job and only ends up losing the most important thing that would help him do his job. It is a story about how humans react when the only silver lining in their lives are quite corrupted. The characters in this film are emotional, brave, honest, diligent etc.

Both films are circumstantially similar but explore the human condition in contrasting ways. Eventually, it is a film about the perseverance of the human soul which is shown in a very different light in both films.

In the end, the corrupt family succumb to the system and end up in misery. Conversely, the father and son who uphold fortitude and strong moral values are able to work together to solve the problem and actually find the bicycle. This is not to say that goodness is rewarded but, rather that, goodness might lead to a positive state of mind that is able to work through atrocities and probably even triumph.