Bicycle Thieves Film Essay

The Image of the Woman Through the Neo-Realist Lens The image of the woman in Italian neo-realist cinema was controversial in nature and driven by visual pleasure and a modern attitude of sexuality. The image of the woman, though, was a dynamic component of cinema that did not remain stagnant. From the demure and homely character of Maria of The Bicycle Thief, to the progressive Sylvia of La Dolce Vita who carried an adventurous auroa - unafraid of spontaneous sexual escapades. The sexual expression of the woman quickly progressed towards a liberal expression point, which was influenced by western culture. In more recent times the Italian film La Grande Bellezza shows a completely liberated and pornographic image of the female body, but interestingly enough the content of the movie is not fixated on sexuality but symbolism of one’s search for meaning in the privileged life. Feminine sexuality in Italy …show more content…
She uses her sexually fueled power over Marcello and calls him to the fountain where she entices him to cross the line of “ego” and give into the “id” of the human persona and of his momentary desires. The two intimately share a moment where, at the moment of scene’s climax, the fountain waters are shut off and Marcello’s satisfaction is not met. This scene in its entirety was a bold archetype of sexuality expressed through Italian cinema.
The woman though, crucial as she was, was presented simply as the main component of relationships, eroticism and love affairs. Sylvia was the projection of the male fantasy and erotic inner thoughts and desires of Marcello. Sylvia however, was one of three women who shaped the film. Marcello’s fiancée, Emma, and Maddalena were all involved romantically with Marcello, reinforcing the sexual escapade mindset of the women in this film, in the midst of a religious and conservative Catholic Italian