Compare "THE BICYCLE THIEF" and "PAPER MOON"
The Paper Moon and The Bicycle Thief are a production of Frank Marshall and PDS (Produzioni respectively). To begin with, the two films are somewhat similar to each other a number of ways. In the Paper Moon, Moses and Addie are in search of ways of survival throughout their way to Addie’s aunt. Copying from Moses, Addie becomes a con girl claiming the she is Moses’ daughter. Similarly, in The Bicycle Thief, Antonio is in desperate need for work in order to be able to provide for his family. This desperation leads him into acquiring a job in an advertising company but the requirement becomes a challenge for him. As a result, he talks to his wife and she finds a way out into acquiring a bicycle, which is a basic requirement. The bicycle is later on stolen from him and this motivates to make an attempt to steal another bicycle. These two films are similar in a way that, the two gentlemen make the wrong moves of survival as the two different films progress.
The setting that the two movies have been availed to the audience varies. One of the most evident aspects of setting is the time. To begin with, the Paper Moon was produced in American in 1973, which is different from Bicycle Thief, which was produced during the Second World War in 1948 in Europe. Though the setting mainly paying attention to the time may be different, there is a similarity in the mood enticed to the audience considering that the characters in the both movies make mistakes in attempts to make ends meet.
The quality of pictures in the two films varies and this can be explained by the variation in the periods that the movies were produced. The Bicycle Thief had a lower quality of pictures due to poor quality of cameras compared with the Paper Moon. In Paper Moon, the duration of shots is shorter to create a sense of suspense compared to Bicycle Thief.
The role mandated to children in the two films has demonstrated notable similarity; they are considered as the ‘savior’ to their fathers. As seen in The Bicycle Thief, if it were not for the presence of Bruno, Antonio’s son then he would have gone to jail due to theft. Similarly with the case in Paper Moon, we have witnessed Addie protecting her father from a probable gold-digger.
Considering the economic and social situations in the two films, we find that the environments in action are the same such that, Antonio and Moses are involved in robbery because of poor living standards. The two films indicate that the two main characters engage in desperate actions which are basically founded and motivated by poor economic environment and weak social support systems.
In The Bicycle Thief, Alessandro Cicognini directs the sound tracks. The sound tracks add to the flavor of the film by contributing to its theme. The music in Paper Moon is not as pronounced; that is the director does not use music to create the theme of the film. The impact to which the films had on me was similar whereby at some point I had to sympathize with the main characters especially when they go through the rough moments and struggle through the poverty. In a way, I realized that no matter the situation, challenges will still appear and it will require sensible, critically and well advised decisions to be in a position to overcome the challenges.
Works Cited
Lopate, Phillip. American movie critics: an anthology from the silents until now. New York: Library of America, 2006. Print.
Paper moon. Dir. Ryan Neal. Perf. Moses and Andie. Paramount Pictures, 2003. VHS.
Paper moon. Dir. Ryan Neal. Perf. Moses and Andie. Paramount Home Entertainment, 20031973. DVD.
The bicycle thief. Dir. Vittorio Sica. Perf. Antonio. Corinth Video, 19881972. Blu-Ray.
The bicycle thief. Dir. Luigi Bartolini. Perf. Antonio. SBS Television, 2003. DVD.
