Rome after the end of the Second World War: times are not rosy in the Italian capital. Countless men are searching in vain for work. But Antonio Ricci is in luck: he could immediately take up a job as a billboard sticker. The job is good, close to the city, but he needs his own bicycle. To be able to afford it, he and his wife Maria trade in the family's last possessions. Full of pride and joy, Antonio starts his first day at work, when suddenly his bicycle gets stolen. In a flash he takes up the pursuit of the thief, but he manages to escape. After futilely going to the police to report the theft, he understands that he has only one option left: to go in search of the bike himself. At dawn, together with his son Bruno, who works in a gas station, and a party comrade, he looks for his bike first in Piazza Vittorio Emanuele II and then in Porta Portese, where used and often stolen items are usually resold. But there's nothing he can do: The bicycle, probably now in many pieces, is not to be found. Together with his son Bruno, Antonio continues his desperate search for the thief of his bicycle. Shot exclusively on original locations, mostly outdoors and with only amateur actors, the film focuses on the hard everyday life of a simple family. The film adaptation of Luigi Bartolini's 1946 novel of the same name impresses with its lively narrative style, sensitivity, human warmth and commitment to realism.