In the introduction to his anthology of film articles
Our Films, Their Films,
Satyajit Ray writes—
Bicycle Thieves and Pather Panchali tell their own stories
but what is interesting
is that they share some stylistic features and themes;
in other words, a neo-realist treatment.
Both films favour natural locations
and unknown, non-professional actors,
a strike contrast to the Hollywood conventions of the time
of shooting in sanitised, studio sets with big film stars.
Lamberto Maggiorani who plays Antonio
was a factory worker when director Vittorio de Sica
convinced him to play the lead!
The majority of the characters in the film
including Maria and Bruno
are portrayed by non-professional actors.
Similarly, Subir Banerjee who plays Apu,
Karuna Banerjee who portrays Apu’s mother,
and the villagers who worked on smaller roles,
had no prior experience of acting.
This casting choice was again a bold one
since India’s most popular films of that period
relied on star power.
The decision to shoot in natural locations with unknown actors
was a result of circumstances,
more than being an aesthetic choice.
Italy was feeling the heat of World War II
and its major film studios were unable to function at the time.
Filmmakers, hence, rallied on to the streets to tell stories.
Satyajit Ray, being a first timer
could have barely gathered enough funds
to shoot a grand, ambitious story.
He had to do it with a minimum of financial backing.
Apart from the inclination for visual authenticity,
other major factors for the use of
real locations with an unknown cast
in both these films were perhaps
the unavailability of studio space
and lack of huge funds.
Bicycle Thieves has a straightforward plot—
A working-class family is trying hard to battle poverty and desperation
during the tough economic conditions in Italy post-World War II.
Antonio along with his son Bruno
must quickly track his stolen bicycle
otherwise, he will lose his newly-found job.
The rest of the film revolves around a hunt for the bicycle
which leads the father-son duo
to a police station,
a church,
a brothel
and an astrologer.
Pather Panchali portrays the struggles of an impoverished family
residing in a battered ancestral house in rural Bengal.
Harihar is a priest
who secretly possesses dreams of a successful career
as a poet/playwright.
His wife Sarbajaya,
is charged with taking care of the two kids
apart from managing the house
with a minimum of resources.
The film provides an authentic account of the Roy household,
majorly through the eyes of the two kids—
Durga and Apu.
Both films comprise loose, episodic structures
instead of strict, hard storylines.
There is not much drama.
Simplicity is the focal point.
There are no unmotivated, inorganic twists and turns.
The films explore the plight of the working class and the poor.
The emphasis is on ordinary people.
Bicycle Thieves and Pather Panchali
both reserve empathetic POVs for their characters.
The films never judge their acts of stealing;
be it Antonio attempting to steal a bicycle at the end,
the old woman Indir stealing food from the kitchen,
Durga stealing fruits off a neighbour’s orchard
and nicking a necklace from a friend,
the films do not make simplistic moral judgments.
Ofcourse, the theme of poverty is the common thread.
The Ricci family like most others around them
is struggling to keep themselves afloat.
Post-war Italy is still in ruins and is facing an economic crisis.
Antonio is constantly on the lookout for a job of any kind.
The oldest son who is barely 8,
does his bit,
working at a gas station every single day.
Similarly, we see the Roy family living off of minimum supplies
as they strive to get out of the debts
that keep piling over them.
Unable to earn well living in the village,
Harihar heads alone to the city.
Sarbajaya works extremely hard to run the household,
enduring loneliness
and regular societal jibes for not bringing up her kids well.
Poverty causes Sarbajaya to treat the old woman
as more of a burden.
She cannot stand the responsibility of another family member
since there are limited funds.
Durga and Apu grow without any comfort,
disconnected from the world.
The only element that provides respite is the setting.
Nature.
It functions as an amusement park for the kids,
away from the hardships at home.
The beauty
of the village
is juxtaposed
with the paleness
of poverty.