{"id":3245,"date":"2007-05-21T12:12:33","date_gmt":"2007-05-21T19:12:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=3245"},"modified":"2021-01-15T23:20:17","modified_gmt":"2021-01-16T06:20:17","slug":"death-of-a-cyclist-1955","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=3245","title":{"rendered":"Death of a Cyclist \/ Age of Infidelity (1955)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>&#8220;They left him lying there like a dog.&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\n<table>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/05\/Death-of-a-Cyclist-Poster.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/05\/Death-of-a-Cyclist-Poster-213x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"213\" height=\"300\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-30795\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/05\/Death-of-a-Cyclist-Poster-213x300.jpg 213w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/05\/Death-of-a-Cyclist-Poster-90x128.jpg 90w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/05\/Death-of-a-Cyclist-Poster.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 213px) 100vw, 213px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Synopsis:<\/strong><br \/>\nAfter accidentally hitting a bicyclist with their car, a wealthy married woman (Lucia Bose) and her lover (Alberto Closas) flee the scene of the accident. When a blackmailer named Rafa (Carlos Casaravilla) threatens to tell the woman&#8217;s husband (Otello Toso) that he has seen her with Closas, they fear he has witnessed their crime.\n<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p>\n<strong>Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Blackmail<\/li>\n<li>Catalysts<\/li>\n<li>Guilt<\/li>\n<li>Infidelity<\/li>\n<li>Spanish Films<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Review: <\/strong><br \/>\n<em>Death of a Cyclist<\/em> &#8212; the best-known film by Spanish director Juan Antonio Bardem (uncle of actor Javier Bardem) &#8212; opens with the tragic titular event, which forces two complacent lovers to question the ultimate survival of their affair. Meanwhile, the weaselly Rafa represents a generalized malevolence towards the bourgeoise; his character &#8212; almost a caricature, but an effective one &#8212; wants nothing more than to get revenge against what he views as a privileged, careless class. Though a subplot revolving around Closas&#8217; increasingly threatened position as a university professor doesn&#8217;t always ring true, it helps moves the plot along to its tragic ending. The final scene is especially poignant &#8212; you&#8217;ll find yourself muttering &#8220;touche&#8221; in admiration. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Note:<\/strong> <em>Cyclist <\/em>won raves at the Cannes International Film Festival, but was inexplicably <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/1958\/08\/19\/archives\/screen-age-of-infidelity-drama-from-spain-bows-at-the-paris.html\">panned by <em>New York Times<\/em> reviewer Bosley Crowther<\/a> upon its American release. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Redeeming Qualities and Moments: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Luminous cinematography<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/05\/Death-of-a-Cyclist-Cinematography.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/05\/Death-of-a-Cyclist-Cinematography.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-63626\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/05\/Death-of-a-Cyclist-Cinematography.jpg 640w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/05\/Death-of-a-Cyclist-Cinematography-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/05\/Death-of-a-Cyclist-Cinematography-128x96.jpg 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/05\/Death-of-a-Cyclist-Cinematography-360x270.jpg 360w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Judicious use of editing and close-ups to create emotional tension<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/05\/Death-of-a-Cyclist-Closeups.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/05\/Death-of-a-Cyclist-Closeups.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-63624\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/05\/Death-of-a-Cyclist-Closeups.jpg 640w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/05\/Death-of-a-Cyclist-Closeups-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/05\/Death-of-a-Cyclist-Closeups-128x96.jpg 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/05\/Death-of-a-Cyclist-Closeups-360x270.jpg 360w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Carlos Casaravilla &#8212; who looks <em>and <\/em>acts uncannily like Peter Lorre &#8212; as the creepy blackmailer<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/05\/Death-of-a-Cyclist-Blackmailer.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/05\/Death-of-a-Cyclist-Blackmailer.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-63625\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/05\/Death-of-a-Cyclist-Blackmailer.jpg 640w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/05\/Death-of-a-Cyclist-Blackmailer-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/05\/Death-of-a-Cyclist-Blackmailer-128x96.jpg 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/05\/Death-of-a-Cyclist-Blackmailer-360x270.jpg 360w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Must See? <\/strong><br \/>\nYes. This powerful story of guilt and infidelity should be seen by all film fanatics. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Categories<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Foreign Gem<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Links: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/imdb.com\/title\/tt0048394\/\">IMDb entry<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/1958\/08\/19\/archives\/screen-age-of-infidelity-drama-from-spain-bows-at-the-paris.html\">NY Times Original Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tcm.com\/tcmdb\/title\/645363\/death-of-a-cyclist#articles-reviews?articleId=141992\">TCM Article<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;They left him lying there like a dog.&#8221; Synopsis: After accidentally hitting a bicyclist with their car, a wealthy married woman (Lucia Bose) and her lover (Alberto Closas) flee the scene of the accident. When a blackmailer named Rafa (Carlos Casaravilla) threatens to tell the woman&#8217;s husband (Otello Toso) that he has seen her with Closas, they fear he has witnessed their crime. Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors: Blackmail Catalysts Guilt Infidelity Spanish Films Review: Death of a Cyclist &#8212;&#8230;<\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more\"><a class=\"btn btn-default\" href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=3245\"> Read More<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">  Read More<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3245","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-reviews"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3245","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3245"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3245\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":63628,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3245\/revisions\/63628"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3245"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3245"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3245"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}