‘Bicycle Thieves,’ released in 1948, is the most well-known neorealist movie, as it covers all the themes one believes to know and see from a privileged person’s point of view: unemployment, loneliness, loss of trust, shame, and a lack of representation and freedom. These subjects make the viewer compassionate towards the characters, more so as neorealist movies do not use professional actors, even for the principal roles; a factory worker in the film is also a factory worker in actuality. The same concept is applied in Satyajit Ray’s hit 1955 neorealist film, ‘Pather Panchali.’ Ray, who is from Kolkata, expressed to make a film that felt as immediate and emotionally affecting as the European cinema he enjoyed, but also wanted to imbue his narrative with a distinctly Indian perspective.
In comparing both movies, both centre on the concept of shame, as it is one unpleasant, self-conscious emotion that bypasses any riches and can be found in every social status. In ‘Bicycle Thieves,’ Antonio, the protagonist, steals a bike after succumbing to dire times, only to then get caught, be humiliated, and weep in front of his son; he has our compassion. Similarly, in ‘Pather Panchali,’ Sarbojaya, a young mother struggling to maintain her household without expenses for indispensables, bound by her self-esteem, relents to a strong sense of shame when her neighbour leaves behind money, against her wishes. Themes of unemployment or lack of representation are fully presented in neorealist films but the concept of worthlessness is very subtly touched upon. These are all heavy concepts found in everyday life that are not given as much recognition as they should by filmmakers.
The raw honesty of reality is beautifully portrayed in both films, in contrast to both countries and their people. Throughout, Antonio is deceived by his own people; the police disregard his situation, the neighbourhood contradicts him, and the only act of kindness he receives, besides from his family, is from the man he stole from, who drops the charges against him. Here we are aware of the cultural distinctions, the reality of Italian nature, whereas in ‘Pather Panchali’ the Bengali culture, although critical and disagreeable at times, does come through as people end up lending a hand.
Comparatively both directors use conversational speech and a documentary visual style to portray the daily life struggles of other people, in addition to the main characters. In ‘Bicycle Thieves,’ we see shopkeepers in the background bargaining and quarrelling on serious but habitual topics. In ‘Pather Panchali,’ a close-up shot opens from behind a music band playing at a wedding, giving the audience a view of the conductor’s ripped clothes. Minor details like these give the films of the 'Golden Age' so much depth that the viewer has to watch them multiple times to grasp them fully.
Lastly, neorealist films presented something new to the world. De Sica played heavily in this movement, influencing Ray’s themes and cinematic style, but through his own struggles with directing and funding, Ray ultimately brought something original to the screen: "On the first day of the shoot, the director had never directed, the cameraman had never shot a scene, the children in the leading roles hadn't been tested and the soundtrack was composed by a then-obscure sitarist (the great Ravi Shankar). Perhaps this inexperience gave everyone involved the freedom to create something new."
The author is a 3rd year Architecture student at the Institute for Art and Culture.