An example is when Antonia rides his bicycle to hang up posters and advertisements for the cinema. A large image of the American film star Rita Hayworth provides an ironic and telling contrast between the glamour and wealth of Hollywood and America and the lives of the ordinary people in postwar Italy (Ebert, 1999).

There are many reasons why this film has been critically acclaimed. As one critic notes; " 'The Bicycle Thief' is so well-entrenched as an official masterpiece that it is a little startling to visit it again after many years and realize that it is still alive & #8230; ( Ebert, 1999). It is the films exploration of human nature and the insight that it provides into human motivation that is one of the central reasons for the popularity of this film. For example, in the last sequence of the film, Ricci is also tempted to steal...
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