It may be a social commentary on the Spanish bourgeois, but there's just enough passion, murder and betrayal to counterbalance the sermonizing in Muerte de un ciclista.
On an empty road, an adulterous couple hit a bicyclist with their car. To avoid revealing their affair, Juan and Maria Jose abandon the man, who subsequently dies from his injuries. What follows is their struggle to keep their crime and relationship a secret.
Several themes are predominant. The tragedy wrought by war, which in this case was the Spanish Civil War. The striking disparity between the wealthy and poor. The condemnation of the corrupt elite. The just punishment of the wicked.
Director Juan Antonio Bardem is to be commended for creating a film that criticized Spain's ruling class during the repressive era of Franco. That said, the movie comes close to preaching occasionally, hitting us over the head with Juan's realization that he must break free of the conformity that his wealth and status restrict him to.
However, the plotting is tight and consistently suspenseful from all the intrigue and scheming going on. One pivotal scene that builds suspense while also displaying the Spanish bourgeoisie in all its glory takes place in a flamenco club. Using no dialogue, Bardem masterfully increases our apprehension that the pair's sins will be discovered, cutting back and forth between tense faces and panicked eyes in close up camera shots.
The characters are also well developed. Maria Jose is particularly fascinating. Beautiful, privileged, and as we ultimately discover, a cold mercenary and deadly femme fatale. Her death by bicyclist may strike some as being too trite in its irony, but for those who like their movies wrapped up at the end, it is satisfying to see that the evil are punished.
On an empty road, an adulterous couple hit a bicyclist with their car. To avoid revealing their affair, Juan and Maria Jose abandon the man, who subsequently dies from his injuries. What follows is their struggle to keep their crime and relationship a secret.
Several themes are predominant. The tragedy wrought by war, which in this case was the Spanish Civil War. The striking disparity between the wealthy and poor. The condemnation of the corrupt elite. The just punishment of the wicked.
Director Juan Antonio Bardem is to be commended for creating a film that criticized Spain's ruling class during the repressive era of Franco. That said, the movie comes close to preaching occasionally, hitting us over the head with Juan's realization that he must break free of the conformity that his wealth and status restrict him to.
However, the plotting is tight and consistently suspenseful from all the intrigue and scheming going on. One pivotal scene that builds suspense while also displaying the Spanish bourgeoisie in all its glory takes place in a flamenco club. Using no dialogue, Bardem masterfully increases our apprehension that the pair's sins will be discovered, cutting back and forth between tense faces and panicked eyes in close up camera shots.
The characters are also well developed. Maria Jose is particularly fascinating. Beautiful, privileged, and as we ultimately discover, a cold mercenary and deadly femme fatale. Her death by bicyclist may strike some as being too trite in its irony, but for those who like their movies wrapped up at the end, it is satisfying to see that the evil are punished.