The Italian Neorealism

In my film class we studied Italian Neorealism, a film movement that characterized Italian cinema in the late 40s, where the main themes were the daily life of the working class. I was interested in watching Italian films, since I have always liked to appreciate cinema from a different perspective than the American one. Our film teacher teach us that many of the influences of this cinema came to America. Neorealism was responsible for creating stories in which the daily life of social classes were the main theme. The first film we saw was called "Ladri di biciclette" (Bicycle Thieves) of 1948 and was directed by Vittorio De Sica. The plot revolves around a poor man and his son looking for a bicycle through the streets of Rome after the Second World War. The history, the events and the characters are all real. The end of "Bicycle Thieves" left me shocked because the film does not close in a way that you expect, it is not the "happy ending" we always hope for, and it teaches us that in reality sometimes things do not go as you want and you just have to live with it.