Some movies age well. Tonight I saw “Ladri di Biciclette” for the third time and it was as impressive as ten years ago. (“The Bicycle Thief” is playing at Lincoln Plaza Cinema.)
Like most of Chaplin’s movies “Ladri di Biciclette” is based on the horrors of poverty in western industrial society. Like most of Chaplin’s movies “Ladri di Biciclette” is sentimental and openly betting on the beauty and pathos of a kid.
But when Chaplin eats his shoe with pepper and salt as he does in “Gold Rush” the horror of poverty gets an icing of romanticism, whereas in “Ladri di Biciclette” it is as if “the shame will outlive” the protagonists.