Bicycle Thieves

Got to watch Bicycle Thieves once again.,,,.after almost two decades, thanks to the initiative taken by the MSComm students of the University led by Fr.Biju. The movie continues to impact despite the passage of time. Not surprising at all considering the fact that the theme is universal or should I say eternal. Not many of us however brought this up during the discussion – the relevance of the film to our contemporary situation. The agony and anger of post-war poverty, the director depicted clearly and the shame and guilt experienced by the protagonist at the climax- very poignant they were. Who is a thief? What makes one a thief? Who is to blame for making a perfectly decent, law abiding citizen into a law breaker? Still waiting for answers.