::::Celluloid:::: - Death of a Cyclist

At the height of political disarray in post-Franco Spain, many of the film studios had been shut down and most of the country's cinema was imports of things such as Italian Neo-Realism. However there were a few directors who sought to challenge the country's current political climate and work outside of a studio. One of these directors was Juan Antonio Bardem who, with his film 'Death of a Cyclist', made one of the most impressive and possibly overlooked films of the time.

'Death of a Cyclist' begins with an adulterous couple driving down a country road back to the city after a secret liaison on the outskirts of town. Not surprisingly given the title, they hit a cyclist along the way. Faced with going to the authorities and being outed with their relationship or leaving the man there to die, they flee the scene, setting into motion a conflict of morality that tests their love for one another and their willingness to "do the right thing".

Soon thereafter, the two main characters realize that their crime had not gone unnoticed when they are black mailed by a man named Rafa who casually drops hints that he knows about their sins. Through much personal turmoil and a few existential bombs, the characters roles become polarized as the man feels the need to purge themselves of wrong doing by going to the authorities, thereby making their love that much more pure and stronger. However the woman in a very Hitchcockian fashion is obviously not amused. In the end their fate seems sealed in an ironic twist that mirrors the original crime.

What really makes the film interesting is that it's casually set against a backdrop of Spanish elite and upper social class that allows a Communist agenda to show through without beating you over the head with it. The typical elements of bigger hollywood films were more predominant than anything. The tale of morality, the secret love affair, and the femme fatale. It's reminiscent of film noir of the time such as 'Double Indemnity' and carries strong elements from a typical Hitchcock film like Psycho where the characters aren't necessarily completely without regret for their crimes but commit them anyway and as usual, pay for them in the end.