Monday, October 23, 2017
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?
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The films Bicycle Thieves and The Last Laugh have their similarities and differences. In Bicycle Thieves, Antonio loses his job, because his bicycle is stolen. This is a factor he has no control over, similar to the fact that the protagonist in The Last Laugh loses his job since he has reached the inevitable old age. The protagonists in each film have different motivations in their line of work. Antonio wants to work to support his family, but the protagonist in The Last Laugh held his job as a matter of pride. Additionally, Antonio has the support of his friends and family throughout thick and thin. His wife is compassionate and helps Antonio persevere, Bruno is always by his side, and his friends will take time out of their day to assist in any way possible. In contrast, The Last Laugh shows very little support from the protagonist’s family, friends, neighbors, and colleagues. This shows that the films have different moral messages regarding loyalty. In Bicycle Thieves, loyalty is everything. It is the reason Antonio is able to continue working towards his goals. The Last Laugh shows little to no loyalty throughout the film, sending the protagonist into a depressed state. It seems that both films explain through their “realism” that bad things can happen to good people. Finally, one who is persistence and continues working to accomplish their goals is much more likely to be successful that someone who does not try. Strangely, when comparing the films, there is no sign of this. Antonio was more involved and thus more likely to obtain what he wanted, yet he fails. The protagonist in The Last Laugh does very little besides moping and ends up at the same state Antonio is in.
ReplyDeleteIn Both films, Bicycle Thieves and The Last Laugh, there are many similarities and differences in the plot. In the films the protagonist fights to hold on to their job in a desperate bid to restore the life they once had or grow a new and improved life. In the film, Bicycle Thieves, Antonio, the protagonist, does whatever he can to get a job to provide for his family. When opportunity strikes, Antonio jumps at the chance to have a high paying job; however, in order to fulfill the needs of this new occupation he needs a bike which he does not have. He sacrifices his processions to purchase a bike with the approval and support of his family. Sadly, his bike is stolen on his first day on the job. The film follows Antonio, his family, and his friends on the long reflective road to finding his bike. In the film, The Last Laugh, the unnamed doorman commits his entire being to his job always ensuring that he has fulfilled a job well done, but he is stripped of his identity when his job is taken away from him due to many factors of his downfall. In both films, the protagonists have a strong desire to hold on to their jobs. Unlike the doorman, Antonio has the support of his family, his wife and his son Bruno, and his friends. They are always there for Antonio whenever he needs anything, especially after his bike is stolen, and they will love him unconditionally no matter what happens. In dissimilarity, the doorman’s family and friends betray him and show no signs of care during his downfall and loss of class in society. Disregarding the ending of The Last Laugh, Bicycle Thieves is more hopeful because Antonio is a fighter unlike the unnamed doorman who is proven to give up at times of distress. Antonio does not back down when the times get tough, he is willing to do anything to afford for his family as shown when he steels the bike at the end of the film. On the contrary, the doorman only mopes instead of looking at the positive or trying to make things better for himself when things don’t go his way. Antonio fights to save his job while the unnamed doorman loses all hope and lets his dreams slip away from him.
ReplyDeleteThe Last Laugh and Bicycle Thieves are movies with very similar plots. In both movies, the main character loses their job and are put in a very tough predicament. In addition, these movies are realistic in the sense that they are about events that happen in everyday life. Despite the similarities, they are two very different types of movies. In the Last Laugh, the protagonist loses his favored job due to old age, but is given another job. Though he is given another job, it is not the one he like and everyone in his life begins to disrespect him. This is different in Bicycle Thieves because the protagonist loses his job due to the loss of his bike. In addition, despite losing his job and his bike, Antonio is still loved by his wife and his son. When the protagonist from the Last Laugh loses his job, he is shut out and looked down upon. Besides the specifics in the plots, there are other differences. One of these differences includes the social message. In Bicycle Thieves there is a political message portrayed in the film, while in the Last Laugh, there is not. In Bicycle Thieves, Communism shows up to help save Antonio. Though they do not succeed, they were still willing to help when no one else was. Not including the ending of the Last Laugh, Bicycle Thieves has more hope. It has more hope because Antonio does not stop believing and is willing to do whatever it takes to help his family. The protagonist from the Last Laugh is not and would forever be sad if it was not for his luck.
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