Characteristics - Mixture of Professional and Non-Professional Actors

An Italian Neo-Realism film uses a mixture of professional and non-professional actors. By using non-professional actors, the film can project a slice of everyday life. Besides that, an Italian Neo-Realist film focuses on social reality which is the poverty and unemployment during post-war Italy. Apart from that, the dialogues and languages used are natural and the use of regional dialects can be usually seen which is why non-professional actors are used.

When filming Bicycle Thieves, Vittorio De Sica asked for a real Italian worker, someone who eats like a worker, is moved like a worker and who can bring himself to cry, which is why he casted Lamberto Maggiorani who was a factory worker and non-professional actor when he was casted for the film.

 Lamberto Maggiorani

Lianella Carell who plays Maria Ricci, Antonio Ricci’s wife is a journalist before she was casted for this film while Enzo Staiola who plays the son is found when he was watching the shoot.

Enzo Staiolo

Lianella Carell