Analyze a scene from Bicycle Thieves. Be sure to read the handouts I've given you. You can access the film in parts on YouTube, starting here. Be sure to click the CC (closed captioning) on the player to get the subtitles.
Choose a 5 minute scene and analyze it completely. Remember that you need to mention why you chose the scene and this scene's relation to the film as a whole. In addition, pay close attention to: mise-en-scene, lighting, camera angles, shot types, etc. Here is a list of items to pay attention to when you write your 750 words (minimum) (and when you do your oral presentation):
- How well do I understand how meaning is constructed through the use of film language in this extract?
- How well do I understand the extract's relationship to the film as a whole?
- How well do I understand the influences of the film's genre?
- How well can I place the film and this extract in a broader socio-cultural context?
- How insightful is my analysis of the director's intention?
- How coherent, incisive, insightful, and detailed is my evaluative interpretation of this extract?
Here is a list of "vocab" you should use:
- narrative
- direction
- cinematography
- mise-en-scene
- lighting (which is often, but not always, considered part of mise-en-scene)
- camera movement
- editing
- sound (diegetic and non-diegetic)
Be sure your paper is AT LEAST 750 words. Watch the clip a number of times. Let your ideas flow. Spend time with this. If you don't, your presentation next year will suffer. It will be difficult if you don't practice. If you do what I ask, that will be an easy assessment for you!
Due: Monday, April 8, 2013
Bicycle thieves is the film I am doing an analysis on, which is a neo-realist film that shapped new boundaries for film makers throughout film history, becoming a classic influence for present day film makers. The opening shot of my scene for my analysis opens up with a point of view shot by our main character Antonio, who ia looking towards the football stadium. This shot is a long shot and wide shot, to show the massive amount of people entering the area he is in, with several people walking towards the left of the frame.
ReplyDeleteNeo-realist films such as this one, came about during the 1940's in Italy, during the years following German occupation of the country. These films were made by film makers that wanted to show other countries what Italy was going through during this time. These film makers often had limited resources, so they couldn't use professional actors, or sets, and they used cheap roles of film stock, but were still able to create powerful emotional films that touched audiences to this day. A lot of these films, such as this one, were about the every day strifes of the Italian people. The reason I chose this scene, is because I think that this scene embodies this theme through Antonio. Antonio becomes a symbol for the Italian people during the late 1940's through cinematic elements in the scene.
From the beggining I noticed the use of editing a lot. Quick editing using the koleshov effect makes us see point of view shots of Antonio's that allows to see what he is thinking about. The quick cuts between him looking at bicycles and a solitary bicycle show that he is desperately thinking abouts stealing one to save his job. This shows how people in Italy were desperate enough to do this kind of stuff, because they have gone through a lot of hard ships all ready. Its also used to quickly show the father and son crying back and forth at the last part of the scene, to show how miserable some lives were for the Italian people. There are also really important parts of the mise-en-scene in this scene, including costume ansd hair design. The dads poor clothes and bruno's poor clothes and messy hair, show that they arenof very well off in terms of money and that they ha e gone thtough a lot in their lives recently
This represents the Italian people tthat have gone through tons of hard ships. Lighting is another important factor of the scene, in the side of the building where it ia dark, we see that this represnets the idea of stealing the bike is shown on Antonio's face. Afterwards the lighting is high key lighting, mellowing out the scene, and relaxing the viewer for the sad ending of the film. Specific types of shots are used at certain times also. Long shots are used when there aren't a lot of peopwl in the frame, and medium to close ups when there are a lot of people. The composition where Antonio ia tiny and far away shows how Italy feels like it stands alone and how there is no one out there to help them. The tight composition of people is used to show not peoples for Antonio, but against him as they slap and insult him. Props used in this scene are important as well, including all the bicycles shown in this shot, piled together, contrasted to the only solitary bicycle. The bike that is alone represnets Antonio's last chance to save his job, even if its the worng decision to make, because he, just like the Italian people, are depserate for help. Moving camera ii noticed is used at the end of the scene to show how they have just become part of the moving mass of people that seems to be just as miserable as him. The composition in the last shot shows how they kinda merge into the mass of people, showing there are tons of people just like this in Italy, and you, the viewer, only got one story of many. The music and sound is the last part of this scene of importance and drives confusion and tension into the scene. In the beggining of the scene, music is used to build tension and suspence in the viewer. After he steals the bike the music and sound changes to become more suspencedul until he is cought, then becomes suddle mellow background noise, below the intensity of the peoople screaming and shouting and slapping at Antonio. After he is let go, the music becomes very sad and produces an emotional responce in the viewer that causes great sadness when paired with the shots od Bruno and his dad crying. This makes the viewer feel what Antonio is feeling, and thus how Italy is feeling, giving off the idea the director wanted to radiate.
ReplyDeletethrough this scenes use of cinematic elements, our direcotr has been able to show us the strife of the Italian people in a way that justifies why this ia one oftbe greatest Neo-realist films of all time.
So here's my analysis of "Bicycle Thieves". Even though I tried to make it shorter, it's still 1500 words. I also can't help but feel like I missed out on something. so, Ms Holden (or anyone really), can you comment on what i missed so i can add it? thank you kindly :)
ReplyDeleteRoberto Rossellini’s film “Bicycle Thieves,” a stunning neorealist film chronicling a man, Antonio Ricci, who gets a job that will make a change for his extremely impoverished family, but it comes crashing down when he finds that his bicycle, a vital tool for the job at hand, has been stolen. This movie is often viewed as one of the headliners for the “noerealist” era, an era in predominantly Italian films that changed the face of movie making forever. This movie was filmed in the year following the end of World War II, and two months after the release of Rome from German control. Despite this control being relinquished, signs of this oppression are evident throughout the film. Its very realistic story plots, using stories that could easily happen any day, categorize the neorealist era. The noerealist films were a way for the Italian people to show the world the truth about their lives, and what they had to go through. Also, because of a lack of budget brought on by the desecration of Italy by the war, almost all of the neorealist movie actors were actually non-actors, regular people who came off of the street in order to act in these films. Also, these films were shot in real life areas where events took place, as opposed to the popular practice of filming in studios that was popular at the time.
ReplyDeleteThe scene I am going to analyze starts at 3:47, and runs to 6:22. This scene helps express the destitute state of Italy, and the great need her people were in. The scene opens with an extreme wide shot that holds in it a run down building looming to the right, and an plain on the left. Ricci comes running down the center of the screen, along a dirt path. His approach suggests that as a result of the news that he will have a new high paying job, his presence and importance are quickly increasing. His strength and ability to be if use to his family is gaining significance. Also, by running down the center of the screen, Ricci is our focus, so we look more at him than anything else. Ricci turns the corner and stops in front of a washing yard where his wife, Maria, does her laundry. The yard itself is surrounded by a barb wire fence, which gives it the feeling of a prison, which gives is a feeling of the oppression and inability of the Italian people to escape their scenarios. We cut to a long shot of Maria, and one of the strands of barbwire is super imposed across her throat, directly tying that oppression to her. Also, Maria and all of the women around her are wearing shabby, ill fitting rags that help illustrate their poverty, and the necessity to live by any means necessary. Maria approaches Ricci and begins to talking to him, stopping in the gate of the yard to confront him. She stops at the left of the screen, with a gat post between her and Ricci. As we have just seen her walking from the imposing feeling yard, we still feel as though she is trapped within it, and her position on the left of the post suggests she is not yet free, while Ricci’s position on the right suggests that he may have a possibility to be. It would seem that Ricci holds within himself a mode to free Maria, but that it is not a sure thing, as they hesitate at the gate before continuing on their journey. Also, as the two walk away from the yard, they find themselves walking down a hill, which suggests they are descending into trouble. We cut to a long shot from another angle in front of the couple, and we continue to see them descend. The angle that they descend, and the direction that they descend from, suggests to the viewer that the two people’s descent is natural, and that there is little they can do to fight it. This is a foreshadowing for later, as they are ultimately unable to rise above their current position. As Ricci walks with Maria, he begins to talk about how he needs his bicycle. As soon as he mentions its importance for their future, however, a shadow falls across his face, another bad omen for his plight. It is interesting to note, however, that as Ricci finds himself defending farther and farther down, at one point he passes a group of children who travel from the lower right of the screen to the upper left, climbing out of the darkness and moving on their way. This is the most unnatural direction an object can move in the frame, and also suggests extreme difficulty. It seems to suggest that though Ricci and those like him cannot make it out of the depression of Italy, there is hope for the next generation, who can, with much work and against trials and harsh odds, can make their way out, which proved to be true in real life Italy. As Ricci and Maria approach their home, they are framed several times, both of the times while talking about their delicate situation of forward motion, once as they enter their apartment complex, being framed by the opening of the building, it’s inner walls and staircases, and then again by the door to their apartment. This again indicates the futility of what they hope to accomplish, as they are being closed into their environment.
ReplyDeleteAs the walk continues, Maria seems to be weighed down more and more, symbolized by the pails of water she is carrying. Maria initially carries two water pails, but as the walk progresses the weight becomes too much for her, and she must pass one of the pails on to Ricci. Despite this, by the time they reach the apartment, Maria is doubled over from the effort and seems to hardly be able to compose herself and continue the task. This parallels the weight and struggle of her and Ricci’s aspirations, and once more shows us that the two are not up for the task ahead. Ricci slinks into his apartment, suddenly seeming very tired, and slumps onto his bed. In the upper left corner of the screen are hanging loops, likely used to store items, but which eerily resemble nooses, adding more to the abysmal and hopeless feel of the situation.
ReplyDeleteThroughout the entire scene, the camera moves slowly and methodically, following the characters and carefully showing the viewers all of their actions, in order to give us a full grasp of what they hope to accomplish, but to give us the underlying implication that they can’t. Also, almost all of the shots are long and drawn out, in order to mimic real life as well as possible and refrain from distracting the viewer, who is supposed to feel the reality of the situation. Throughout the scene, Maria and Ricci are shown to be approximately the same size and on opposite sides of the screen (a majority of the time with Maria on the left and Ricci on the right). This shows that they stand on equal footing with each other and view each other as equals. Ricci is always leading Maria, however, which reflects his status as the breadwinner of the family and ultimately the key to the family’s success. Maria, once again within the closed frame of a doorway within her apartment, begins the task of cleaning her sheets, in order to sell them and get Ricci’s bike back. The scene ends at 6:22. Maria struggles to push her freshly cleaned sheets through the window of a pawnshop. When she finally manages to, she is rewarded for her effort not with the image of triumph, but instead with a denoted position on the top comer of the screen, where only her face is present and is tightly framed. This is the ultimate indication of the couples’ likelihood to fail, as even proud Maria’s has left everything and all of her presence, having only her a small part of her identity left to show from it.
When “Bicycle Thieves” was initially released in Italy, it was received with generally negative reviews, as many Italians felt that that it portrayed the Italian people negatively. The rest of the world, however, found the movie an instant hit, and it received almost perfect reviews. Bosley Crowther said “Again the Italians have sent us a brilliant and devastating film in Vittorio De Sica’s rueful drama of modern city life, The Bicycle Thief.” This film showed the rest of the world a window into a lifestyle they had no way of knowing other wise. Even today the movie is viewed extremely positively, receiving a 98% on Rotten Tomatoes, and has been voted a number of times as the best film of all time by Sight and Sound a number or times.
The scene I chose was the scene in which Antonio Ricci, the man who lost the bicycle, sees the thief riding off on the bicycle after talking to the old man. This scene is vital to the narrative because it is just about the first time that Antonio and Bruno are about to give up all hope. The rain which had just occurred was trying to imply just this loss of hope, and the group of men who are all jabbering simultaneously- giving an overwhelming confusion off of trying to understand what they’re saying- are symbolic of Antonio’s loss in the middle of Rome. There are so many bicycles to check and so little time he might as well give up and think of another way around this problem of locating the bicycle. When he sees the thief on the very same bicycle, his hope is reignited and he immediately goes running off after the man. The shot in which the thief takes off fleeing from Antonio, there is a wall with a doorway into which he flees. The lighting of this wall is very dark and looming, but the doorway is much brighter, creating a large contrast between the two and showing the audience that this is Antonio’s one last chance to catch the thief. The next shot is from within the doorway, which causes the frame to appear very closed, again implying that this is Antonio’s only way out of his predicament. The placement of the three characters is very important in this shot- because Bruno is so close to the camera that Antonio and the thief look very close together, making it more significant when the thief gets away- again. The next shot pans and follows Antonio running through a small marketplace with the thief out of the frame, and ends with Antonio and Bruno alone, standing in the middle of a muddy parking lot in an extreme long shot with the thief much too far away for Antonio to go on trying to catch him. The isolation of Antonio and Bruno is to show that no one else in the marketplace (maybe meaning all of Rome) is willing to go out of their way to help the the unfortunate man who’s lost his bicycle. The shots then work backwards after Antonio decides to chase after the old man with whom the thief was talking to, taking place in the doorway in the wall again to show that Antonio, beginning in a small far away place in the frame, is hard pressed to catch this old man to lead him to the thief. The old man is shown in an extreme long shot in the middle of the frame, about to turn a corner and escape Antonio's grasp. When Antonio and Bruno turn the corner, they are in a long shot with the old man nowhere in sight. They scramble and split up, the camera always panning to follow each one while they madly scramble to find the old man. After a lot of mad scrambling, they seem to find him and follow him, finally confronting him on a bridge, at which point in time the old man denies knowing the thief at all. Antonio has no sense of doubt that the old man is in cahoots with the thief, but the audience begins to doubt whether or not its the same old man, because this one has paint cans whereas the other did not. The relentlessness and lack of doubt of Antonio is showing that desperation is clouding his judgement. The old man finally pushes away Antonio and Bruno after they grab his jacket and starts to jog away. He is then shown pushing his way into a group of other men trying to lose his pursuers, until they catch him getting shaved inside the church. When Antonio is entering the church he is peering around a doorway and is cut off by other people entering the church. This is showing that he does not belong with these people and he is out of his element- maybe saying that he does not go to church and has lost faith in other powers so he has to solve his own problems.
ReplyDeleteThe extract I chose was the opening of the movie. It goes from the very beginning to 5:17. The action of the scene is the start of the narrative of the film and consists of Ricci being chosen for a job, then relaying the news to his wife. I chose this scene because I always think the opening of a film is key in setting the tone for the remainder of the movie. It introduces the characters, the way the movie looks, and the general setting of the film. The scene also introduces the film’s storytelling style. Had it opened with a voiceover narration or had the opening been indoors rather than out it would have made for a very different movie. Bicycle Thieves was produced in Post World War II Italy, in 1948. At this time the country was hardened and torn apart by the devastation of the war. This film is a part of the Italian Neo-Realism film movement. Many of these films were not well received originally for the reason that they were too realistic. The people of Italy, as seen in the film, were pressed for money, and food, the economy was stricken. Real Italians did not want to see a movie like this because they wanted to go to the movies as an escape from their problems. The film has since been accepted and is widely regarded as one of the greatest movies of all time. This opening scene depicts the life of an ordinary Italian family and is a striking first look at the realistic nature of the film. Bicycle Thieves was directed by Vittorio De Sica, whose own experience with being poor in Italy as a child motivated him to want to create films that offer a heartbreaking glimpse of poverty in his home country. De Sica’s own experience and his strong intention in his direction made it possible for the film to have such a powerful voice.
ReplyDeleteBeginning with sound, the gloomy non-diegetic music is the first sound the viewer hears and a similar musical theme continues throughout the film, often looming over the dialogue and action as the characters’ economic woes loom over their daily activity. There is not a notable emphasis on the diegetic sound. It appears in a way that seems natural. The viewer hears the dialogue and the sound of the action taking place (i.e. the sound of footsteps, or a bucket clanking) in an inconspicuous way which allows for focus on other aspects of the film language. The choices made with the camera are more noticeable in this extract and throughout Bicycle Thieves. The shots are long in lengths, not a lot of quick editing. This establishes a slower pace, which gives the viewer the feeling of being somewhat stuck or trapped in the film, like the characters are stuck in their socio-economic situation. There is also a lot of camera movement, which lends to a single shot being both an extreme wide angle establishing shot and moving to be a meaningful close up. The camera movement allows the audience to see and experience a fuller range of the world of the film and it gives versatility to the type of shots used. The movement also gives the feeling of being an outside observer. We are following behind the action of Ricci walking up to the man giving out jobs, and behind the couple as he breaks the news to his wife. The shots are often eye level. When low or high angle shots appear they are slight and necessary. These choices keep what we see on the screen as natural looking as possible in keeping with the Neo-realism movement. The shots are open in nature until the couple enters their apartment building. This adds to the idea that the outdoors are free to all, and outside is wear everyone seems to feel most at ease; most of the action takes place outside. The people do not have a lot of indoor space to claim as their own, and the space they do have is confining and limiting as a reminder of their poverty. That is why when the action shifts indoors the shots become more closed and darker. The lighting is also a factor in the darkness though. The lighting is by the sun outdoors and more harsh by bare bulbs, not fancy lamps, indoors. The minimal lighting makes it so that all the action has to take place during daytime- another limiting factor of the lives of the people that can be translated into film. The costumes of this film are also realistic. Characters wear what poor people of Italy at the time wore. Clothes are purposely fairly indistinguishable from one person to another. This extract is again important in establishing the film’s meaning because it opens the movie. We meet the characters, but more importantly we “meet” the filmmakers through their choices concerning every aspect of the film language.
ReplyDeleteThe scene from The Bicycle Thief that I’ve chosen to analyze occurs just about an hour into the film, when Antonio takes his son Bruno out to eat after they’ve been searching for Antonio’s missing bicycle for hours. This scene represents Antonio’s desire to offer Bruno and the rest of his family the lives they deserve, and his inability to do so. The scene starts off with a medium shot of Antonio and Bruno as they enter the restaurant. They look a bit confused, and Bruno seems to be standoffish, standing just behind his father. The two exchange a glance, and then Antonio decides it’s okay to enter, signified by a smile and a nod, and Bruno follows suit. We then cut to a wide shot of the two walking into the restaurant, and we can see why they initially stopped – it appears to be filled with members of a very rich economic/high social class. The two sit, and the camera dollies to the table at which they are sitting. Antonio suggests they forget everything, and get drunk, a kind of odd thing to say to his eight year old son (even given the general Italian culture). The next shot is a close up of Antonio smiling, a rarity in the film. He is clearly excited to indulge in this feast and we can see it as we focus on him. However, the shot lasts for merely 3 or so seconds, indicating that his happiness is very short lived and sooner or later he will have to step back into reality and face his circumstances. The waiter approaches the table and through the dialogue, Antonio’s lower class nature shines through as he orders a full bottle of wine and a pizza, only to be informed that the restaurant he is in is not a pizzeria. We cut to a close up of Bruno whose emotion is indiscernible from my standpoint. He appears to look up to the waiter and back down to his dad, as if with either a nervous look or one that feels sorry for his father and the “mistake” he has made. A few shots later, when Antonio is deciding what to order, Bruno turns around and we see our first of several close-up shots of another family, clearly upper class, which also has a son about Bruno’s age. He sees what they are eating, and without saying a word his father knows that’s what he wants. For one of the only times in the whole movie (as the shot alternates from father to son) the two are almost perfectly content. Antonio tells Bruno that they’ll drink wine with their meal and leave room for dessert. Bruno is very happy and again turns around to look at the other table. This time in the medium shot of the other table, the little boy turns around from his food and gives Bruno a “look.” We then cut back to a close-up shot of Bruno, his smile erased from his face as though he feels like he doesn’t belong. The sound begins to play a role at this point into the actions of the characters. All the sound in the scene is diegetic. We hear the dialogue of the characters, the clanking of the plates, silverware, and glasses, and a band standing in the corner provides the music. At this point, Antonio is still beaming, patting his hand up and down on the table along with the music. Again, these shots of Antonio smiling are always very short, so as to show that he can only escape his problems for a short period of time. We cut to a medium shot of Bruno and the wine has arrived. Throughout the time Antonio is pouring the wine, we can see Bruno’s expression. Bruno, in this scene, is almost the silent voice of reading. Through his facial expressions, we can tell he is pleased with what he is getting, but knows that it probably isn't the best thing to do, with occasional looks of often disappointment and worry (which we can see in this shot). We cut to a medium shot of Antonio drinking his full glass of wine, band playing in the right half of the frame. He is acting as though he has large amounts of money to spend, almost forgetting about his obligations, while he encourages his son to drink, asking him what’s wrong with him. Inserted between his son drinking is, again, a brief shot of Antonio beaming.
ReplyDeleteWe cut to a medium shot of Antonio with the band in the background, who says they can do anything they want because they’re both men. This type of dialogue expresses Antonio’s need for somebody to confide in that really shouldn’t be his son. While the focus is usually on Antonio, the focus now seems to be on the band in the right of the frame, made even more evident when Antonio turns around to face them. We now see a close-up of the band, with the mandolin player in the center (rule of thirds). A brief shot is seen of Bruno beaming, and then we return to the previous shot. The men are playing/the man we are focusing on is singing, and the camera dollies up until it is an extreme close-up (in comparison to what we are shown throughout the rest of the film). The m an appears to be looking directly at Bruno (but as an English speaking audience, we are unaware as to what the song means). Again, we seem Bruno beaming, almost shyly, as he puts his head down in a medium shot, and then we return to the band celebrating in a medium shot. As they switch songs, almost rhythmically the food arrives. The two prepare to eat, and Bruno seems to have some trouble using the silverware, during which time Antonio says, “we’ll eat and be happy for now.” We see an almost 10 second shot of Bruno struggling with the fork and knife while Antonio is shown eating rather easily (although not helping Bruno in his struggle). Sick of trying to cut the food, he puts down the fork and knife and picks up the bread. We cut to a side view so we can see the mozzarella pulling from the bread. For the third time, Bruno turns to the side and we cut to a shot of the elite family eating. A few shots later, we see the same family getting dessert and champagne. We see the little boy again looking back at Bruno, sneering with a certain degree of disgust. Although he is eating his dessert with a fork, this can be viewed as highly ironic because he was earlier eating the bread with his hands. This goes to prove that although people from different socioeconomic classes often act in the same way and do the same things (we are all people, after all) those in higher classes usually view themselves as better. Even in youth, this is evident. Directly afterwards, Antonio makes the comment, “in order to eat like them, you have to make a million a month.” When he finishes this, we are watching Bruno’s expression in a medium shot, and he subsequently looks down and drops his food. His father urges him not to worry, and to eat, and Bruno continues to eat. We cut to a medium shot of Antonio, smiling, who begins to cut his food again. However mid cut, the smile is wiped from his face and reality begins to set in again, discussing his monetary troubles and how if he only had his bicycle, they could live again. He has his son do calculations to determine how much they would have if he had a job, cutting back and forth between medium shots of Antonio recounting and medium shots of Bruno crunching the numbers. Every time we cut back to Antonio, the shot gets closer and closer to him, symbolizing entrapment. In the last shot of the scene, the camera dollies into Antonio so that he is at the center of the frame, and is our sole focus in the frame. Even though he still seems to have hope, we as the viewer can understand that he is trapped and that there is really nothing more he can do.
ReplyDeleteBicycle Thieves was a very influential film during the Italian Neo-Realist film period. The Italian Neo-Realist period was created by Italian filmmakers to show the rest of the world what it was like living in Italy during that time period, the 1940s. The films were raw. Oftentimes, many scenes were not acted or scripted. They were just shots of everyday life in Italy. That was what made this period in cinema so special because it was real. This film, Bicycle Thieves, can be seen by many as the face of Italian Neo-Realism and still holds value and influence on filmmakers today.
ReplyDeleteThe scene I am choosing to analyze is the one where Antonio Ricci and his son go for lunch at a higher scale restaurant. They are on the search for Antonio's bike that was stolen, and stop mid-search for something to eat. I chose this scene because it shows the difference in social status during that time period in Italy. Antonio is on the lower end of the social scale, while the other families at this restaurant are rich and upper class. They can order whatever they want without hesitation, while Antonio and his son have to watch how much they spend. Antonio's son watches another little boy around his age eating a large, expensive meal. He is jealous and wants one. Antonio decides to go all out and let his son order whatever he likes and they pretend like money is nothing. This is significant because it shows Antonio breaking through the social bounds he is under. Even though he is not high class, he can still pretend to act like it for a while. I find this scene to be very influential on the rest of the film.
For example, when the little boy gets his food, he begins eating it with his hands, because he doesn't know how to use the fork and knife together. He looks over at the rich boy, eating very politely with a fork, knife, and napkin. Antonio's son feels inferior and puts down his sandwich in shame. This represents the difference in their social classes and how it was hard to upgrade on the social scale once you were already at the bottom.
The series of shots in this scene seem to be continuous. They are mostly all eye level medium shots of the characters as they speak. This allows the scene to flow nicely, so the audience is not focused on the editing, but on the content of the scene itself. The camera is static during these shots. Meaning, it doesn't move. The characters make their way in and out of the frame themselves, the camera doesn't follow them.
The sound in the scene is also significant. There is only diegetic sound. The music playing is coming from the band inside of the restaurant. And the voices heard are that of the main characters, and also the extras. This makes the scene feel real. If there was a non diegetic soundtrack playing in the background, it would be harder for the viewers to make the connection with Antonio, because the music would be coming from an outside source. Because all the sound is raw and real, it lets the audience have a better understanding of being in a real Italian restaurant during that time period.
Overall, these cinematic elements and symbolism all the audience to connect with Antonio on a personal level. That was what Italian Neo-Realism was all about!