Bicycle Thieves is a wholly satisfying film in that de Sica has so simplified and mastered the mechanics of the job that nothing stands between you and his intention.

This gem tells the story of a frantic search bv a man and his son for a stolen bike which provided for the family's existence. It is told with the usual Italian realism, but with unusual excitement.

Decades later, you can see the influence of Bicycle Thieves everywhere, in a variety of genres and languages.

It's not hyperbole to flatly state that this is one of the all-time greats in the annals of cinema; on my own list, only Ingmar Bergman's The Seventh Seal ranks higher when it comes to foreign-language films.