7.8/10
2,629
19 user 30 critic

Death of a Cyclist (1955)

Muerte de un ciclista (original title)
Not Rated | | Crime , Drama | 9 September 1955 (Spain)
Death of a Cyclist Poster
A couple having an affair strike a bicyclist with their car and do not offer aid out of fear of their relationship being exposed.

Director:

Juan Antonio Bardem (as J.A. Bardem)

Writers:

Juan Antonio Bardem (as J.A. Bardem), Luis Fernando de Igoa (original story) (as L.F. de Igoa)

Stars:

Lucia Bosé, Alberto Closas, Bruna Corrà | See full cast & crew »
Reviews

Watch Now

From $2.99 (SD) on Prime Video

ON DISC
2 wins. See more awards »

Photos

See all 10 photos »
Learn more

More Like This 













◄ Prev 6 Next 6 ►

Next »
Main Street (1956)
Drama
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 7.9/10 X  

A couple of friends decide to have a good time and play a trick on an unmarried woman. Therefore one of them has to pretend to fall in love with her.

Director: Juan Antonio Bardem
Stars: Betsy Blair, José Suárez, Yves Massard
Next »
Welcome Mr. Marshall! (1953)
Comedy
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 8.2/10 X  

After finding out that North American people are visiting the Spanish villages, the citizens of Villar del Río start preparing themselves to welcome them when they arrive.

Director: Luis García Berlanga
Stars: Lolita Sevilla, Manolo Morán, José Isbert
Next »
The Executioner (1963)
Drama | Comedy
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 8.1/10 X  

An undertaker marries an old executioner's daughter and, although he doesn't like it, must continue the profession of his father-in-law after his retirement.

Director: Luis García Berlanga
Stars: Nino Manfredi, Emma Penella, José Isbert
Next »
El extraño viaje (1964)
Comedy | Crime
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 7.9/10 X  

Paquita and her brother Venancio, both single and childish, live in a small town near Madrid. Their bossy eldest sister Ignacia, also an old maid, dominates them. One night, Paquita hears ... See full summary »

Director: Fernando Fernán Gómez
Stars: Carlos Larrañaga, Tota Alba, Lina Canalejas
Next »
The Hunt (1966)
Drama | Thriller
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 7.7/10 X  

Three men go hunting rabbits during a hot day. Heat and talking about events happened in the past make them angry, until they go totally crazy.

Director: Carlos Saura
Stars: Ismael Merlo, Alfredo Mayo, José María Prada
Next »
La venganza (1958)
Drama
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 7.4/10 X  

In rural Spain, sister of an ex con convinces him to take revenge against the local who tipped off the authorities about the man's whereabouts, which led to his subsequent arrest. Unfortunately, she soon falls in love with the snitch.

Director: Juan Antonio Bardem
Stars: Carmen Sevilla, Raf Vallone, Jorge Mistral
Next »
Plácido (1961)
Comedy | Drama
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 8.2/10 X  

In a small spanish town, a group of old ladies decide to celebrate Christmas Eve with a "Sit a poor man at your table" dinner: each wealthy household of the town will have a homeless person... See full summary »

Director: Luis García Berlanga
Stars: Cassen, José Luis López Vázquez, Elvira Quintillá
Next »
Cría Cuervos (1976)
Drama
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 8.1/10 X  

Three orphaned sisters under the custody of their stern aunt and their handicapped grandmother will have to acclimatise to the new conditions of their shared life, overcome life's constant impediments, and in the process, grow up.

Director: Carlos Saura
Stars: Geraldine Chaplin, Mónica Randall, Florinda Chico
Next »
La torre de los siete jorobados (1944)
Comedy | Fantasy | Horror
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 7.3/10 X  

In the Madrid of the 19th century a young man plays roulette. A mysterious character helps him by pointing with his walking stick the next number where the ball is going to fall. The ... See full summary »

Director: Edgar Neville
Stars: Antonio Casal, Isabel de Pomés, Guillermo Marín
Next »
Los inocentes (1963)
Drama
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 6.6/10 X  

A bank employee changes his life radically after the tragic death of his wife in a car accident along with a widower industrial.

Director: Juan Antonio Bardem
Stars: Alfredo Alcón, Paloma Valdés, Enrique Fava
Next »
Los santos inocentes (1984)
Drama
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 8.2/10 X  

Spain, 1960s. People from a very poor family work in the country, at the service of a rich family of landowners...

Director: Mario Camus
Stars: Alfredo Landa, Terele Pávez, Belén Ballesteros
Next »
La tía Tula (1964)
Drama
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 7.8/10 X  

The film is a picture of Tula a woman being single and repressed who believes that she has to help her brother-in-law Ramiro forgetting that she is a woman.

Director: Miguel Picazo
Stars: Aurora Bautista, Carlos Estrada, Irene Gutiérrez Caba
Edit

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Lucia Bosé ... María José de Castro (as Lucia Bose)
Alberto Closas ... Juan Fernández Soler
Bruna Corrà Bruna Corrà ... Matilde Luque Carvajal (as Bruna Corra)
Carlos Casaravilla ... Rafael Sandoval
Otello Toso Otello Toso ... Miguel Castro
Alicia Romay ... Carmina
Julia Delgado Caro Julia Delgado Caro ... Doña Maria
Matilde Muñoz Sampedro ... Vecina del ciclista
Mercedes Albert Mercedes Albert ... Cristina
José Sepúlveda José Sepúlveda ... Comisario (as Jose Sepulveda)
José Prada ... Decano (as Jose Prada)
Fernando Sancho ... Guardia de tráfico
Manuel Alexandre ... Otro ciclista
Jacinto San Emeterio ... Joaquín
Manuel Arbó ... Padre Iturrioz (as Manuel Arbo)
See full cast »
Edit

Storyline

Juan is an academic, his career stalled, teaching at the university because of his brother-in-law's prestige. María José is a socialite, married to wealth, bored but attached to her comforts. The two are lovers. On an isolated country road, their car strikes a cyclist; fearing exposure, they leave him to die. Distracted, Juan unjustly fails a student. Rafa, a bitter savant in their social circle, hints that he knows something, and he threatens to expose them to María José's husband, Miguel. Miguel's pride may be the lovers' best hope. Then Juan proposes a solution. Written by <jhailey@hotmail.com>

Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis

Plot Keywords:

adultery | road accident | bicycle | accident | title spoken by character | See All (41) »

Taglines:

Hit and Run Lovers...Caught in a Web of Blackmail, Deception and Murder See more »

Genres:

Crime | Drama

Certificate:

Not Rated | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

Add content advisory for parents »
Edit

Details

Country:

Spain | Italy

Language:

Spanish

Release Date:

9 September 1955 (Spain) See more »

Also Known As:

Age of Infidelity See more »

Filming Locations:

Estudios Chamartín, Madrid, Spain See more »

Company Credits

Production Co:

Guión Producciones Cinematográficas,Suevia Films - Cesáreo González,Trionfalcine See more »
Show more on IMDbPro »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1
See full technical specs »
Edit

Did You Know?

Trivia

Finnish censorship certificate register # 045590. See more »

Goofs

In the scene immediately after the wedding the shadow of a cameraman is visible on the back of Juan's coat as he enters the slum where the cyclist lived. See more »

Connections

Featured in Cuando Franco murió, yo tenía 30 años (2005) See more »

Frequently Asked Questions

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.

User Reviews

Powerful examination of morality and an effective 'thriller'
3 October 2011 | by runamokprods – See all my reviews

A mix of noir psychological thriller and political examination of class and privilege in Franco's Spain, this reminded me as much as anything of Antonioni's 'Story of a Love Affair', although I liked this even more. For me there were more thematic and emotional levels explored in more interesting ways.

The film is beautifully made with a striking use of transitions to keep us off base, and an alternating mix of neo-realist, and slick Hitchcockian camera work that evokes the separation of class in society.

The story is simple. A pair of upper-class lovers accidentally hit a cyclist on the highway, and leave him to die, for fear of being discovered as lovers and losing all they have in society and with each other.

The rest of the film is about both the moral questions of responsibility and ego versus a sense of communal responsibility, and the gut wracking tension as to whether the two will be discovered.

I was occasionally bothered by the heavy handedness of some of the film. Sometimes it was just a too on-the-nose politically ironic line, but particularly an important sub-plot about a student the male half of our anti-hero couple, has treated unfairly. This sub-plot, while beautifully shot and well acted, feels like it exists only to make political and thematic points, and pulled me out of identifying with the film on a human level. Likewise, a couple of crucial character twists, while interesting, feel forced or sudden -- more there to make a point then to honestly continue the narrative.

But these are small flaws compared to the film's great strengths, and it is very much worth seeing.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.  Was this review helpful to you? | Report this
Review this title | See all 19 user reviews »
Getting Started | Contributor Zone »

Contribute to This Page

Stream Trending TV Series With Prime Video

Explore popular and recently added TV series available to stream now with Prime Video.

Start your free trial


Clear your history

Recently Viewed