Perhaps the most influential period in cinema history was the Italian neo-realism period of the late 40s and director Vittorio De Sica was one of the prime reasons for this important period of film-making. "The Bicycle Thieves" is a film about a poor man whose only means for a job is his bicycle, which gets stolen. The film follows him and his young boy throughout war-ravaged Rome in search of the stolen bike. The trip involves some of the most brilliant vignettes in film history; the church, th find out more...

Retired civil servant Umberto struggles to survive on his rapidly dwindling pension in the harsh environment of post-World War II Rome, a city plagued by its society's total disregard for the plight of the elderly, the poor and the downtrodden. His only companions are his loyal dog, Flag, and a pregnant housemaid named Maria. Facing eviction from his humble home by his tyrannical landlady Umberto's desperate failed attempts to raise money lead him to contemplate suicide, but first he must find a find out more...