DVD Mini Review - Death of a Cyclist
Juan Antonio Bardem (yes, uncle of Javier) this interesting, suspenseful film in
1955. It won an award at Cannes while Bardem was in jail. He was a staunch Communist in Franco's Spain.
The story begins with university professor Juan (Alberto Closas) and his married lover Maria Jose (Lucia Bose) driving along at a high speed. They are too wrapped up in each other to notice a cyclist. They hit him head on. They stop the car and Juan goes out to check on him. He is still alive but Maria Jose is too worried about her reputation to be bothered trying to save this man. So they drive back to Madrid and the man dies. We see why Maria is so concerned. Her husband Miguel (Otello Toso) is loaded with money. She surely wouldn't want to give that up. But Juan is having problems and he can't concentrate on work. He is so upset that he insults one of his students, Matilde (Bruna Corra) in front of the whole class. On top of anything the slimy Rafa (Carlos Casaravilla) seems to know about Juan and Maria and just might blackmail them. As the cyclist was a poor man the police don't go out of their way to find out what happened to him.
The film is Hitchcockian in the way it show the unraveling of Juan and Maria's relationship. It also shows the hypocrisy of the ruling class in Franco's Spain. The film is beautifully directed and the actors are wonderful. Bardem had to make the film's ending in such a way that the Spanish censors would allow it to be released. I wonder what his preferred would have been like. But despite that fact this is still a very powerful film. So, if you want to see classic Spanish cinema at its best then check this film out. Senor Bardem has two more films listed on Netflix and at some point I intend to see them.
1955. It won an award at Cannes while Bardem was in jail. He was a staunch Communist in Franco's Spain.
The story begins with university professor Juan (Alberto Closas) and his married lover Maria Jose (Lucia Bose) driving along at a high speed. They are too wrapped up in each other to notice a cyclist. They hit him head on. They stop the car and Juan goes out to check on him. He is still alive but Maria Jose is too worried about her reputation to be bothered trying to save this man. So they drive back to Madrid and the man dies. We see why Maria is so concerned. Her husband Miguel (Otello Toso) is loaded with money. She surely wouldn't want to give that up. But Juan is having problems and he can't concentrate on work. He is so upset that he insults one of his students, Matilde (Bruna Corra) in front of the whole class. On top of anything the slimy Rafa (Carlos Casaravilla) seems to know about Juan and Maria and just might blackmail them. As the cyclist was a poor man the police don't go out of their way to find out what happened to him.
The film is Hitchcockian in the way it show the unraveling of Juan and Maria's relationship. It also shows the hypocrisy of the ruling class in Franco's Spain. The film is beautifully directed and the actors are wonderful. Bardem had to make the film's ending in such a way that the Spanish censors would allow it to be released. I wonder what his preferred would have been like. But despite that fact this is still a very powerful film. So, if you want to see classic Spanish cinema at its best then check this film out. Senor Bardem has two more films listed on Netflix and at some point I intend to see them.
posted by Film Fanatic | 7:51 PM
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