The best movie ever made. Period. —TL

This, to me, was the supreme Italian film and one of the greatest films in the world.

Heartbreaking until the end , Poverty is a curse lays with unfairness on the poor .

Two quintessential pieces of Italian cinema claim further places on Plaza’s list: the bleak neo-realist classic, Bicycle Thieves, released in 1948.

All of my favourite films are approaching realism in a different way. This is Italian neorealism – obviously there’s a script and a story and everything, but it’s shot in the street and it has the feel of Italy, of being in the streets.

I’m a big fan of Bicycle Thieves. Love that film. I first saw it when I was at university and I’ve probably seen it half-a-dozen times. It’s a classic example of very simple storytelling.