What I think is "realism" should be to poke people's sore spots head-on with reality that is not whitewashed or false. So it is impossible to look at [the person who steals the bicycle] to have such beautiful memories. At least it doesn't have anything to do with the petty bourgeoisie and sentimental adjectives like sentimental, and it brings you real pain.
The last time a similar feeling appeared was brought to me by another masterpiece by De Sica [Umberto D.]. I remember that once I saw someone say that I didn't like De Sika as if I didn't like Akira Kurosawa, because I felt that the two of them were too preaching. But from the perspective of these two films, De Sica only shows the social status quo, which is original, but rarely gives an individualistic tone. You can also say that he incorporated concepts into performance very well, turning everything into invisible.
These two films are neither critical nor pitiful, but objectively capturing; but because of this, people will always produce some kind of invisible pressure-completely non-functional stimulation, but a battle between heaven and man. The feeling of oppression brought by the helpless and bleak state. The real classics are those things that can survive the cruel elimination of time and are gradually revealed. But is there anything in this world that can remain unchanged for decades or even a hundred years? This is the external environment and society in which we live, as well as the human heart.
It is true that society is developing, but in the process of development, there will inevitably be diversion, and sometimes it is impossible to explain it with any theory, so it is always easy for people to believe in religion. When you can't describe the destiny of people in words, since we often fail to express our meaning, it is better to simply believe that this is God's arrangement, regardless of whether it is the Buddha or the Lord. So look at Antonio in [Bicycle Thief]. Regardless of race and era, what is the essential difference between the migrant workers that can be seen everywhere around us? They are also manual workers who are struggling on the edge, trying to make themselves and their families better. These people are innocent and innocent. However, it is not easy for them to grasp themselves with a difference of thought.
Here, for these people, I think it is extremely ridiculous and irresponsible for others to make judgments like "weak legal consciousness". To make a digression, Antonio reminded me of a news about migrant workers killing Baotou workers that I had read in [Southern Weekend]. However, the same murderer, I can't hate this migrant worker named "A Xing" at all. Not only did he not hate, but he felt so sad that he still clearly remembered his report and his blurry appearance in the photos to this day. Antonio did the same.
You can say that the act of stealing a car is certainly not right; but when you stand in his perspective, when you have nowhere to go, seeing your family members are about to suffer from starvation, and when you have nothing, what can you do? Do you use the low-level act of "painting a pie to satisfy your hunger" to achieve self-comfort? What's the point?
When watching the father and son trembling in the heavy rain but looking sharp and muddy looking for their bike, when the real thief can get away with it, Antonio himself has to suffer the humiliation, when Bruno’s innocent but sad tears are in the crowd In this world, all the keys related to history are actually not important. This kind of fragment, I believe that in any age, there will be a place where it will happen. We are tormented for this, and we can't shed tears, because this is by no means a false, petty bourgeoisie so-called sentimental, this is the bloody pain of peeling the epidermis to look inside. When people are in pain, they are often not crying, but wailing.
De Sika is not preaching. At least [the biker] is not. The reality in it, the helplessness in it, and the pain in it have been winding for decades. If there is so-called communism in this world, I would rather hope that one day such movies will be burned by us.
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