“DEATH OF A CYCLIST”

Also, this weekend, we viewed on DVD, “Death of a Cyclist“, directed by Juan Antonio Bardem, 1955, 87 minutes, black and white, Spain. The film was excellent except that it was too long, even at just 87 minutes! It ought to have been edited better. No need to “beat a dead horse”. We get the point, without having such long scenes in some cases. Still, it won the Critics’ Prize at the 1955 Cannes Film Festival. SYNOPSIS: Upper-class geometry professor Juan and his wealthy, married mistress, Maria José, driving back from a late-night rendezvous, accidentally hit a bicyclist, and run. The resulting, exquisitely shot tale of guilt, infidelity, and blackmail reveals the wide gap between the rich and the poor in Spain, and surveys the corrupt ethics of a society seduced by decadence. Director Juan Antonio Bardem’s charged melodrama Death of a Cyclist, (Muerte de un ciclista), was a direct attack on 1950’s Spanish society under Franco’s rule. Though it was affected by the dictates of censorship, its sting could never be dulled.