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The Bicycle Thief, directed by Vittoro De Sica (1948)

The IMDb summary describes it only "A man and his son search for a stolen bicycle vital for his job." But, oh my god, it is about so much more than that. The attention the director pays to every little detail is striking throughout, from the lighting choices to the way music works its way into the film. There are extended laugh-out-loud moments and jaw-dropping moments of devastation. This movie rocked my world from the first frame to the FINE in the last one. Enzo Staiola, who plays the nine-year-old son, was a naturally amazing actor; his power onscreen reminded me of Cantica Untaru, who starred in one of my favorite movies of all times, 2006's The Fall. This was Enzo's first film, and apparently he was pulled off the street for the role because of his walk. But whoever made that choice got a lot more than they bargained for because he is the emotional power of The Bicycle Thief. Not that the man who plays his father and mother aren't equally good, but he seemed to push the emotions of the story to the forefront.

I don't want to say more about it because I don't want to give anything away, and because I couldn't really do it justice. I don't speak Italian, but Ladri Di Biciclette is sometimes translated as "The Bicycle Thieves," but I much prefer the singular translation, The Bicycle Thief. Once you see it, I think you'll see what I mean.