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IMDbPro

Death of a Cyclist

Original title: Muerte de un ciclista
  • 19551955
  • Not RatedNot Rated
  • 1h 28m
IMDb RATING
7.7/10
3.7K
YOUR RATING
Death of a Cyclist (1955)
  • Crime
  • Drama
A couple having an affair strike a bicyclist with their car and do not offer aid out of fear of their relationship being exposed.A couple having an affair strike a bicyclist with their car and do not offer aid out of fear of their relationship being exposed.A couple having an affair strike a bicyclist with their car and do not offer aid out of fear of their relationship being exposed.
IMDb RATING
7.7/10
3.7K
YOUR RATING
  • Director
    • Juan Antonio Bardem
  • Writers
    • Juan Antonio Bardem
    • Luis Fernando de Igoa(original story)
  • Stars
    • Lucia Bosè
    • Alberto Closas
    • Bruna Corrà
Top credits
  • Director
    • Juan Antonio Bardem
  • Writers
    • Juan Antonio Bardem
    • Luis Fernando de Igoa(original story)
  • Stars
    • Lucia Bosè
    • Alberto Closas
    • Bruna Corrà
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 24User reviews
    • 31Critic reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 2 wins

    Photos30

    Lucia Bosè and Alberto Closas in Death of a Cyclist (1955)
    Death of a Cyclist (1955)
    Lucia Bosè in Death of a Cyclist (1955)
    Lucia Bosè and Alberto Closas in Death of a Cyclist (1955)
    Lucia Bosè and Alberto Closas in Death of a Cyclist (1955)
    Lucia Bosè and Alberto Closas in Death of a Cyclist (1955)
    Lucia Bosè and Alberto Closas in Death of a Cyclist (1955)
    Lucia Bosè and Alberto Closas in Death of a Cyclist (1955)
    Lucia Bosè in Death of a Cyclist (1955)
    Lucia Bosè and Alberto Closas in Death of a Cyclist (1955)
    Lucia Bosè and Alberto Closas in Death of a Cyclist (1955)
    Lucia Bosè in Death of a Cyclist (1955)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Lucia Bosè
    Lucia Bosè
    • María José de Castroas María José de Castro
    • (as Lucia Bose)
    Alberto Closas
    Alberto Closas
    • Juan Fernández Soleras Juan Fernández Soler
    Bruna Corrà
    • Matilde Luque Carvajalas Matilde Luque Carvajal
    • (as Bruna Corra)
    Carlos Casaravilla
    Carlos Casaravilla
    • Rafael Sandovalas Rafael Sandoval
    Otello Toso
    • Miguel Castroas Miguel Castro
    Alicia Romay
    Alicia Romay
    • Carminaas Carmina
    Julia Delgado Caro
    Julia Delgado Caro
    • Doña Mariaas Doña Maria
    Matilde Muñoz Sampedro
    Matilde Muñoz Sampedro
    • Vecina del ciclistaas Vecina del ciclista
    Mercedes Albert
    • Cristinaas Cristina
    José Sepúlveda
    José Sepúlveda
    • Comisarioas Comisario
    • (as Jose Sepulveda)
    José Prada
    José Prada
    • Decanoas Decano
    • (as Jose Prada)
    Fernando Sancho
    Fernando Sancho
    • Guardia de tráficoas Guardia de tráfico
    Manuel Alexandre
    Manuel Alexandre
    • Otro ciclistaas Otro ciclista
    Jacinto San Emeterio
    Jacinto San Emeterio
    • Joaquínas Joaquín
    Manuel Arbó
    Manuel Arbó
    • Padre Iturriozas Padre Iturrioz
    • (as Manuel Arbo)
    Emilio Alonso
    • Jorgeas Jorge
    Margarita Espinosa
    • Encarnaas Encarna
    Rufino Inglés
    Rufino Inglés
    • Nicoas Nico
    • (as Rufino Ingles)
    • Director
      • Juan Antonio Bardem
    • Writers
      • Juan Antonio Bardem
      • Luis Fernando de Igoa(original story)
    • All cast & crew
    • See more cast details at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      The car is not a FIAT 1400. It's a SEAT 1400. SEAT began producing this model in 1954.
    • Goofs
      A cameraman's hand is visible in the back seat when Maria Jose is alone in the car towards the end.
    • Quotes

      Miguel Castro: The other day, someone told me a very interesting story. The story of a happy marriage that went downhill.

      María José de Castro: Why?

      Miguel Castro: The woman tricked the man.

      María José de Castro: Oh really? How original.

      Miguel Castro: Let me finish. The woman tricked the man. They were both good people, especially the woman. And he had a lot of money.

      María José de Castro: So what did the husband do, kill his wife?

      Miguel Castro: No, even better. He left her. Without a penny, suddenly she lost her entire life. Even everyday life, lost. And nobody wanted to give her a hand. Do you like it?

      María José de Castro: The story? It's not too bad. Who told it to you?

      Miguel Castro: Rafa.

    • Connections
      Featured in Cuando Franco murió, yo tenía 30 años (2005)

    User reviews24

    Review
    Top review
    7/10
    Great context and social points, average drama
    It's a great premise, and director Juan Antonio Bardem plunges us immediately into the drama of a pair of lovers who accidentally hit a bicyclist on a deserted road and then just leave him to die. As the story unfolds, we find out more these people and the setting itself. The man (Alberto Closas) is a math professor who got his job through his powerful brother-in-law, and the woman (Lucia Bosè) has been his lover since before the Spanish Civil War, but who left him while he was off fighting it in order to marry into wealth and a higher social standing. Both are thus privileged, but somewhat morally compromised even before the accident. By contrast, the victim is from a much more humble background, which we see when the professor tries to visit his widow. Still later, we find that the place where the accident occurred, on a road through a barren landscape, was also where the professor had been fighting in the war, and there is clearly meaning in that fact. (As an aside, the landscape may remind you of the 1973 Spanish film 'The Spirit of the Beehive', and there is something eerie and sad about these films made under authoritarian rule that seem to show the devastation of the spirit via this type of scenery.)

    The pair are threatened when a pianist/art critic (Carlos Casaravilla) begins making oblique comments hinting that he knows something, and then later when the pair disagree about whether to admit what they've done or not. This tension is strong in the beginning, but falters a bit with an unnecessary subplot involving one of the professor's students, as well as in becoming a bit too much of a morality tale. It's also pretty clear what the art critic knows, but the pretense for ambiguity is carried on a little too long, and this interesting subplot and character aren't taken advantage of in better ways. It picks up towards the end though, with Bosè delivering some great moments through the coolness of her eyes, and a dramatic finish.

    The film makes social points in showing how far the wealthy will go to obtain or maintain their position, and you can see in it political commentary too. After the war, society is stratified in unfair ways, with a big gap between the powerful and the poor, and indeed, the powerful can sometimes believe they are above the law. The scene of the crime being near a battlefield seems to mean that this horrifying but relatively small act is a microcosm of much larger crimes having been committed against Spain, or something along those lines. Seen from that perspective, perhaps the ending is less the natural conclusion of a morality tale, and more a subversive message, which was interesting to think about. It's when I consider these aspects and the courage it took for Bardem to make films like this under Franco that I liked 'Death of a Cyclist' best. As just a drama alone, it's probably just average, but it could be rated higher because of this context.
    helpful•3
    1
    • gbill-74877
    • Dec 12, 2018

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • September 7, 1955 (France)
    • Countries of origin
      • Spain
      • Italy
    • Official site
      • Official site
    • Languages
      • Spanish
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Age of Infidelity
    • Filming locations
      • Estudios Chamartín, Madrid, Spain
    • Production companies
      • Guión Producciones Cinematográficas
      • Suevia Films - Cesáreo González
      • Trionfalcine
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 28 minutes
    • Color
      • Black and White
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.37 : 1

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