Death of a Cyclist (1955)

In the cosmopolitan heart of Madrid, a clandestine love affair blossoms amidst a sophisticated social circle. María José de Castro, wife to the affluent Miguel Castro, and her former lover, Juan Fernández Soler, are caught in a web of passion and secrecy. Their past relationship, abruptly severed by the war, has rekindled in the shadow of María's opulent marriage. Juan, viewed as the black sheep of his high society circle and his family, grapples with his status in life, his academic career only sustained by his influential brother-in-law's position as a college dean. Their world dramatically shifts when an illicit rendezvous culminates in tragedy. María José, steering their car down a desolate road, collides with a cyclist. Panicked and fearing exposure, they leave the injured cyclist behind, despite Juan's initial impulse to aid the man. This callous decision ripples through their lives when they discover the cyclist's death in a newspaper, intensifying their paranoia about their secret affair being brought to light. This fear escalates when Rafa Sandoval, a financially modest art critic invited into the social circle for their amusement, begins to insinuate his knowledge of their dark secret. His veiled threats, particularly towards María José, imply he wouldn't hesitate to reveal their truth to Miguel. As they try to discern Rafa's actual knowledge, María and Juan become entangled in a nerve-wracking cat-and-mouse game, their every move under scrutiny. Their predicament is further complicated when Juan unjustly fails one of his students, Matilde Luque Carvajal, an incident that sets off a chain of unexpected events. As the walls of deceit begin to close in on them, Juan presents a potential solution. But will it be enough to save them from their spiraling downfall? Or will they fall prey to Miguel's pride and Rafa's veiled threats? The answers lie in a thrilling tale of love, guilt, and high society that is 'Death of a Cyclist'.

Death of a Cyclist is a crime movie featuring Lucía Bosè and directed by Juan Antonio Bardem.

Death of a Cyclist is currently streaming on Criterion Channel.

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