Bicycles v. Uniforms: Who Has the Last Laugh?
On the surface Bicycle Thieves and The Last Laugh have the same plot. In both films the protagonist either loses his job or will likely lose a job and in a desperate bid to restore that job they need to reacquire or even steal a precious object that symbolizes their position, a bicycle or a uniform, respectively. Furthermore, if we ignore the "happy ending" imposed by the studio on The Last Laugh, both protagonists end the movie defeated and depressed with seemingly little hope for a better future. Nonetheless, despite these similarities, these are different movies. In what way are they different? What is the social or moral message of each? What are each say about the society of their times (Germany in the 20's and Italy in the 40's)? How do they differ on questions of social mobility, morality or the family? Is one more hopeful or cynical?
Although the films have a very similar story structure, there are some pretty major differences between The Last Laugh and Bicycle Thieves. One major difference is the family that surrounds the main character. When the old man from TLL (The Last Laugh) was caught in a job other than the doorman, his family disowned him while in Bicycle Thieves, the main character’s son forgave him for trying to steal a bike in the street. The Last laugh really choses morality over that family in the sense that if you do anything illegal, you are no longer part of the family, while in Italy, family bonds appear to be stronger because there aren’t enough jobs to go around causing people to make the most out of those around them such as family members. I think that Bicycle Thieves is by far the more hopeful film (excluding the second ending of The Last Laugh). In the Last laugh you have the old man almost completely alone in the hotel bathroom with only a lone security guard by his side as it fades to black. In the Bicycle Thieves, the ending scene has you following the main character and his son walking towards and blending in with a crowd on the street. The feeling that I got off that scene was that there was no luck in finding the bike, but at leats you have the power of family left so their lives are going to be as things in the Last Laugh where he had nothing.
ReplyDeleteI think the main difference between Bicycle Thieves and The Last Laugh can be found when examining those who the protagonist affects. In The Last Laugh we see the protagonist lose his job, and completely give up. He begins to heavily drink and lose control of his life. Ultimately, he is caught in his lie and become the laughing stock of his neighborhood and his family is frowned upon. In Bicycle Thieves, Antonio struggles once his bike is stolen, but he has the support of his wife, child, and friends and they even try to help him find his bike. He never ends up finding his bike, but while on the search he makes many questionable decisions that lead to him making a bad impression on his son. I think that in all, taking the ending that is given to us, The Last Laugh is a more optimistic fim. The ending portrays a down on his luck mad getting a spell of good fortune and he ends up turning his life around. It gives the message that anyone can save their life at a moments notice, and the message can be interpreted in a positive way. The message at the end of Bicycle Thieves is one that can not really be taken positively. When Antonio walks away with his son, there is a feeling of loss, and that nothing can be recovered. While the rising conflict in Bicycle Thieves and The Last Laugh is very similar, when taking a look at the events beyond, it is clear to see the large differences.
ReplyDeleteThe main difference between Bicycle thieves and The Last Laugh is the location of each film and the time period in which they occur. As stated, the plots of both movies are similar at their core. In The Last Laugh, the protagonist loses his job as a bellhop because his age had caused him to become weaker and more fragile, and is forced to become a janitor. At one point, he even tries to prove that he is still capable of holding his job and fails, dropping a heavy bag that he tried to lift. To add insult to injury, his entire life starts to fall apart when his family and friends find out about his demotion in work and look down upon him for it. In Bicycle Thieves, a man gets a highly desired position in a society where unemployment is rampant. As he is on the job, his bicycle gets stolen and he is unable to work until he gets a new one. He spends the majority of the movie attempting to get the bicycle back, and ultimately resorts to trying to steal another persons bike to maintain his job. As this happens, his son is following him around, and sees his father in a different light after the incident. Though they have their differences, both represent the importance of having work throughout the films. In The Last Laugh, it emphasizes the importance of the status of your work. In Bicycle Thieves, it symbolizes the importance of work in society, and the lengths people with go to in order to maintain that work.
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