6. Bicycle Thieves
If Roberto Rossellini ushered in Italian Neo-Realism with "Rome, Open City", then Vittorio De Sica's "Bicycle Thieves" perfected it. All that is needed to be said is Lamberto Maggiorani's face. De Sica uses a minimalist approach by casting non-actors and real life setting of Italy to get across the drama of a modern city post WWII. With Maggiorani's face, De Sica is able to get across all the woeful creases and tired slump of a man with the whole world on his shoulders. And the beauty of it is that it is such a simple story with simple technique. And to think that David O Selznick was originally going to produce this film with an American cast. Legend has it that De Sica was going to cast Henry Fonda in the lead role after a similar haggard performance in "The Grapes of Wrath". Instead of what could have been an over sentimentalized Hollywood production, De Sica creates social commentary about how the world can beat down a righteous man.