Message from sfederico1

[Anonymous]

Not loo long I saw the Chinese Bicycle Thief. It was a wonderfully beautiful mvie. It reminded me of the Italian movie by Vittorio De Sica with Aldo Fabrizi by the same name: The Bicycle Thief. The Chinese movie does not seem to provide a time period when it is taking place. The Italian movie takes place after WWII and one its important messages relates to the phenomenal utilitarian use of the bicycle in post-war Italy: it replaced, in a certain sense, the donkey and the mule for transportation purposes both of people and goods. I believe the Chinese movie could easily be taking place within the last 10-20 years. It too shows then importance of the bicycle as a means of transportation in a society changing from an agrarian culture to a manufacturing based economy. I enjoy viewing and analyzing movies from various cultural backgrounds and observe the way in which cultures view themselvels ... and then come to my own conclusions. The Bicycle provides the means of supporting one's family and its loss can be devasting to the point of sacrificing ones' own life to protect it and to keep it running safely and efficiently. It is a beautiful movie and I would recomment=d the viewing of bothe the Italian and the Chinese movie.