Ladri di biciclette was a film made as part of the neorealism movement in Italy, which aimed to portray and make people aware of the lower class underbelly of society, and the hardness they faced. Set after the Second World War, it shows Italy in a time of economic depression. For the Italian authorities to be happy with this film being distributed abroad, it would have to show a happy society, with no real hardships or problems. De Sica does not portray Italy in this manner at all, as I will examine here. Firstly, to ensure the reader feels...
number of Germans present in the film. For the most part, the film has a miserable tone, through use of music, scenery and the weather, being rainy for several sombre scenes. At the time, Italian authorities were keen to promote Italy throughout the world and give it a good reputation. Tourism, for example, could bring in a lot of much-needed money following the economic collapse. Potential tourists watching this film however, would not rush to visit. The tone of this film makes it a part of neorealism, and the government would certainly not want this image of Italy spreading.