Evolution of Neorealism

 Garrett T. Marchant

Prof. Saphire

COM. 126.01

11/06/2020

Evolution of Neorealism

In the three films, Bicycle Thieves, by Vittorio De Sica,  Killer of Sheep, by Charles Burnett, and Moonlight, by Barry Jenkins, viewers are transported into three very different situations and settings that all follow a similar theme; life in poverty. In the wake of WW2, a broken world spawned a new era of artistic movements. Among the new movements in the film industry, was the golden age style of neorealism. Neorealism is enjoyed by audience members across the globe for its straightforward and realistic stories about the lives of those in poverty, and the working class. 

The three films in discussion, Bicycle Thieves, Killer of Sheep, and Moonlight, all tell stories of characters living in low income environments. Bicycle Thieves, takes place in a post WW2 neighborhood of Rome, Italy. The story tells of a working class father who is assigned a job in a nearby neighborhood. Once his bike is stolen, he is unable to transport himself to and from work. Killer of Sheep, focuses on the stagnant life of a slaughterhouse worker living in Watts, Los Angeles. After a series of events deter the main character, Stan, he begins to feel as though there is nothing he can really do to improve his current state of life. While Moonlight, tells the 3 part story of, Chiron, a young gay man growing up in the unforgiving streets of an Atlanta neighborhood. Bullied to a breaking point, Chiron develops a protective “hard body” persona, which keeps him from embracing his homosexuality. 

Despite the differences these films have in location, time of creation, and character story, they are all neorealism films in which the characters share common struggles. In Bicycle Theives, the father and his young son are shown eating lunch together. During their lunch the young boy continuously looks over his shoulder at a very wealthy family as they dine over an incredible amount of food. The father notices this, and tells his son, “To eat like them, you have to earn at least a million a month.”. This scene is important because it shows that the young boy has begun to realize his family doesn’t have the money that others do. This character awareness of their current financial state is a neorealism recurring theme also seen in, Killer of Sheep, and Moonlight. In Killer of Sheep, this is shown in the scene where Stan’s motor falls off the truck and breaks. Stan comes to the realization that despite his efforts, he never makes any progress in life. While in Moonlight, a young Chrion shows up to his mentor, Juan’s home, and asks a series of questions. “What’s a faggot?”, “Am I a faggot?”,  “How do I know?”, “Do you sell drugs?”, and “My momma, she do drugs, right?”. Juan has to answer this difficult series of questions, which leads to Chrion learning the truth that he is being bullied for his sexuality, his mother is addicted to drugs, and his mentor who he admires is the one selling them to her. 

This scene, like the scenes in Bicycle Thieves, and Killer of Sheep, is the character’s realization they live in harsh, and unrelenting circumstances. These scenes are crucial in neorealism films because of their non glamorous moments. They show characters sad, and hurt, and to the viewers dismay, there won’t be a happy ending. These films are not very different from one another in terms of their ability to portray lower class lifestyles. Bicycle Thieves, shows the life of a working class man in a post WW2 war torn Italy. While Killer of Sheep, and Moonlight, show the harsh realities blacks living in America must deal with on a daily basis. 

A great evolution of these films are the situations characters face. There is a progressive spotlight on the struggles being portrayed in these films, each connecting to the audience in a timely manner about modern issues. Other influences of filmmaking and modern society only help to refresh and improve the quality of neorealism. Author, Godfrey Cheshire, stated in an article on Bicycle Thieves, "To an extent almost unimaginable today, the very different forms of realism exemplified by these films were seen as matters not just of aesthetic advancement but of moral urgency, too.". I believe this statement supports the concept of these films telling a story to an audience affected by, and connected to, its lesson. Art itself, can often be a representation of modern societies predicaments. Neorealism is the paragon of this practice.