Film, like any other medium, serves as a means for the communication of ideas. Motion pictures can illustrate the same points as other art forms, but do so through the use of unique techniques. Mis en scene, or what appears prior to the camera’s presence and arrangement, is one such element exclusive to film that allows for the demonstration of themes and ideals. The Italian neorealist movement of the mid twentieth century exemplifies the power of mis en scene as a manner of promoting ideas within a movie. Neorealist filmmakers used myriad methods, including nonprofessional actors and shooting on location in order to accurately portray the struggles of their country after World War II. Vittorio De Sica’s The Bicycle Thieves offers a gritty portrayal of urban hardship that stands out as a shining example of the period’s meticulous use of mis en scene. The film tells the tragic story of Antonio Ricci, who sells his sheets to afford a bike that he needs for his new job, which he has been searching for tirelessly. A thief, however, steals his bicycle shortly thereafter. Ricci strives valiantly, though to no avail, to regain possession of the bicycle, and at the film’s conclusion resorts to unsuccessfully attempting to steal another man’s. The Bicycle Thieves paints a picture of an urban man’s alienation and economic struggle. De Sica makes this possible largely through his masterful use of mis en scene. He utilizes the mis en scene elements of set, prop usage, and costuming in order to emphasize themes of urban poverty and desperation. Vittorio De Sica utilizes costumes in reflecting the financial hardship of lower class Rome. The element of costuming serves as a reflection of economic adversity quite visibly through the change in the state of Antonio Ricci’s clothes as the film progresses. Antonio exchanges his sheets for a bicycle and meets with his supervisor wearing a suit that, although far from luxurious, makes him appear decently presentable. His job uniform also includes accoutrements that he could not otherwise afford, such as a hat that can be considered an upgrade from the dusty fedora he wears in the opening scenes. However, as soon as his bicycle is stolen, Antonio’s appearance seems to become increasingly disheveled in correlation with his continuously bleaker economic outlook. His suit becomes wrinkled, dirty, and wet from rain to the point that his impoverishment is obvious from his appearance alone. The wardrobe of his son, Bruno, and wife, Maria, are equally indicative of their financial troubles. Costuming further accentuates their poverty by contrasting their attire with that of the upper class. De Sica most clearly illustrates this in the scene in which Bruno and Antonio dine in an upscale restaurant. Their relative poverty becomes obvious when De Sica juxtaposes Bruno’s clothing with that of a wealthy child at another table. Bruno’s jacket appears dirty and ill-fitting in addition to having a hole in it. Meanwhile, the child across the restaurant wears a clean and proper jacket and shirt. Additionally, the quality of Antonio’s grey and wrinkled blazer pales in comparison even to the suit of the waiter who is serving him. It becomes clear by comparison that the Riccis live in abject poverty relative to the upper class. Additionally, this scene touches on the theme of alienation and not belonging, as the two seem blatantly out of place given their clothing. The wealthy child even gives Bruno a glance of disgust, motivated at least partially by the Ricci son’s shoddy appearance. The use of the props of bicycles contributes to the film’s representation of the topics of destitution and alienation just as much as costuming. The bicycle as a prop demonstrates the neediness of families like the Riccis very early in the film. For one, Maria’s wife pawns off the family’s bed linens so that Antonio may purchase a bicycle. The fact that a simple object such as a bicycle could arise such intense excitement, even obsession, from the characters evidences that they live in a world where even the most miniscule material possession holds supreme value. The viewers perceive an even greater sense of the importance of the bicycle when Antonio brings Maria to the fortuneteller. After doing so, he waits outside the building, carefully guarding his bicycle and shooing away people who get close to it. Even when a group of women trigger his curiosity about what is upstairs, he remains extremely reluctant to leave his bicycle unattended and finally assigns its caretaking to a young boy. In this scene, one can clearly observe Antonio’s excessive concern for the bicycle. His refusal to let it out of his sight sheds light on the desperation of his situation, as his escape from poverty depends on a single apparatus. The prop thus acts as a representation of the precariousness and subsequent distress of poverty. Furthermore, the prop of the bicycle reinforces the theme of alienation. Towards the end of the film, Antonio decides that stealing a bicycle is his last resort. Hordes of people mount their own bicycles and speed off in every direction while a lone one leans against a wall, which Antonio eventually attempts to steal. Antonio feels distanced from the others because he does not have a bicycle. The props serve as an example of what the masses have that he does not, but are also a symbolic representation of his alienation. Even the bicycle he was attempting to steal is situated away from the rest of the bicycles, just as Antonio feels disconnected from the masses. The final element of mis en scene that De Sica uses to establish themes of alienation and the despair of poverty is his choice of settings. The film paints a vivid picture of post-war poverty by displaying Rome’s barren, dusty streets and its dilapidated, crumbling buildings. The walls of the Ricci family’s apartment complex are worn down and have chipped paint. The rooms of the apartment have little decoration aside from two family portraits and a crucifix. The audience can discern from the family’s living situation that they are struggling immensely financially. A scene that makes it abundantly clear that Rome’s citizens are enduring harsh times occurs when Antonio and Maria trade in their bed linens in order to afford a bicycle. Behind the employee to whom they hand the sheets the audience sees stacks upon stacks of innumerable clumps of sheets. The employee must climb high upon the wooden shelves to find an open spot for the Ricci’s sheets. The sheer number of sheets within the set indicates to the viewer that the Ricci family does not have a uniquely unfortunate lot. Rather, hundreds of families have also resorted to selling their linens in order to remain afloat. The scene thus communicates through its set alone the crushing poverty that many citizens of Rome are experiencing. The choice of settings in the film also feeds into De Sica’s theme of social alienation. For instance, after he unsuccessfully attempts to catch the bicycle thief, Antonio trudges defeated through the city in settings that are reflective of his feeling of aloneness at the time. In one shot, he walks across a nearly empty intersection with a vast city block nearly devoid of human life in the background. Cars pass by seemingly without a care for Antonio. The subsequent image is that of a broken man dwarfed by the enormity of a modern city and hopelessly alone. His desolate surroundings amplify the perception of Antonio as a lonely outcast. This contrasts directly with the bicycle thief, who is beloved within his community, and thus fittingly resides in a more bustling, lively alleyway. In short, the settings in this sequence show Antonio’s emotional alienation through his physical aloneness. In conclusion, Vittorio De Sica uses the mis en scene elements of costuming, props, and choice of setting in order to give the audience a vivid picture of urban poverty and express the theme of alienation. The film employs mis en scene as a way of helping to establish and reinforce abstract ideas such as poverty and urban isolation through visual means. The Ricci family’s hardships strike the viewer in a much more visceral manner than they would if presented solely through dialogue, narration, or plot developments since he or she can see their physical manifestations and reflections. This gritty use of mis en scene is also present in Italian neorealism, and to some extent lingers on in modern cinema. The power of this element of film as seen in The Bicycle Thieves indicates that there is more to the analysis of film than simply the recounting of characters’ statements and actions. Mis en scene can shed important light on the state of society and the human condition in which a film takes place. Subsequently, its analysis is crucial if one wishes to truly understand and appreciate a film.