Presentation by Steph and Verity.

1. By Steph and Verity

2. • Italy was a lot less well off after the war as
they had to pay back a large sum of money
towards the treaty for the damage they and
the Germans caused.
• 1% of the population was lost due to the war.
The amount of demand for jobs was still
clearly desperate highlighting the damage
done to Italy and the extreme poverty that
followed.
• Antonio and Marie have to sell basic living
essentials (sheets) in order to have enough
money for a bike and to live.
• Many other people are doing the same thing,
eg: binoculars and sheets

3. • Bruno, who is only a young child, has
a job as a petrol pump attendant.
• This is shocking as it displays the
desperate need for money within
Italian families for a simple, basic life.

4. • The barbed wire where the family
live, has significance as it alludes
to the idea that Water (an
essential to human life) needs to
be protected, conserved and
rationed for the people. There is
a risk that it is in limited supply.
• Every living essential could
therefore be in ration too due to
the loss of the war.
• The lack of cinematic
glorification within De Sica’s
visual style and framing of these
shots, conveys the idea that this
of a normality in Italy and the
people are used to this way of
life. Eg: There is no extreme close
ups or cuts to the wire.

5. * Mussolini was the National Fascist Party
Leader of Italy. Seen as “Sawdust Caesar” and
made many promises to the public that Italy
would be great and win the war.
• There are many traces of Mussolini
throughout the film such as Statues and
monuments.
• These reflect the harshness of the
destruction of the Italian peoples’ dreams of
a better life as it was to never happen.
• Reflects the sourness to the end of his reign
– he was imprisoned and humiliated.

6. • The Stadium represents glory, triumph and power. This is ironically
not the representation of Italy post World War 2 and is contrasted
highly with Antonio and Bruno who are sitting on the street,
unhappy, poor and without their essential possession for a happy
life.
• The Stadium was built by the Fascist State and therefore serves to act
as a reminder of Mussolini and Italy’s misfortune despite being a
place for entertainment and fun.

7. • Lots of people have overcrowded the church,
people are kneeling because there aren’t
enough chairs.
• People have turned to God and Religion in
their time of need/for hope after the war.
• The Church provides care for the public; they
have barbers and a food facility.
• The people attending don’t have a lot and
appear homeless and poor, mostly due to the
war.
• The Church helpers are more
concerned about people attending the
service than about their grooming,
signifying their desire for a better life
(in religion/Italy)
• They stop the talking in the service in
order to make people concentrate on
religion (very important)

8. • Everyone is looking for jobs.
• They will accept any job despite
what skills they may or may not
have.
• All of these people need money in
order to live basically.
• Antonio is lucky to get selected for
the poster job because of his skills
and it is unlikely to find another in
the poor economic climate of Italy
post war. He therefore takes it even
though he doesn’t have what is
needed (a bike – another expense)
• The amount of people within the
crowd indicates the vastness of
unemployment and unhappiness.

9. • Whilst Bruno and Antonio look for
their bike in a market a group of
Germans arrive. Although they do
nothing to aid the narrative, they do
help to remind the audience of the
social political issues from the war
and the Italian allegiance with
Germany.
• They are dressed strangely and the
audience and Antonio and Bruno
may feel uncomfortable due to this
odd disruption to the narrative and
because of Germany’s contribution
and influence towards their
country’s downfall.