MUERTE DE UN CICLISTA
This post is film critic Fernando Croce's review of the film, published in Slant magazine in April, 2008.
Death of a Cyclist is Spanish director Juan Antonio Bardem's response to a national cinema he famously denounced as "politically ineffective, socially false, intellectually worthless, aesthetically nonexistent, and industrially crippled." Fittingly, his portrait of the complacent and disaffected upper class during Franco's regime opens with a crash, as adulterous couple María José (Lucia Bosé) and Juan (Alberto Closas) accidentally run over a man on a bicycle and, fearing discovery, leave the wounded cyclist behind. The man's death brings guilt upon Juan's shoulders, yet it also precipitates a painful new awareness: A former idealist hollowed out by the country's civil war, he comes to see the emptiness of his bourgeois ways as well as experience a renewal of his rebelliousness. María José, on the other hand, has no intention of trading the gilded cages supported by her husband Miguel (Otello Toso) for spiritual redemption, and soon becomes the femme fatale promised by the film's noir-tinged strains. The most intriguing aspect of Bardem's social critique is the way Juan's increasing need for exposure is contrasted with the sardonic insinuations of Rafa (Carlos Casaravilla), the slimy art critic whose observations on his decadent companions ("All the ugly things you hide, I dig them up and lay them before you") show that, within bourgeois circles, even self-critical impulses have become utterly corrupted. Unfortunately, many of Bardem's insights are blunted by his unsubtle technique, which provides redundant dialogue ("A new bracelet versus a thousand impoverished customers" is typical party chatter) and enough shock cuts for an entire John Frankenheimer retrospective. (Bosé's presence irresistibly invites comparison with Story of a Love Affair, but where Michelangelo Antonioni dissected his couple's alienation with a diamond-cutter's delicacy, Bardem for the most part merely parades it unilluminatingly.) Explicitly designed as a shock to the system, Death of a Cyclist too often settles for academic subversion.
Death of a Cyclist is Spanish director Juan Antonio Bardem's response to a national cinema he famously denounced as "politically ineffective, socially false, intellectually worthless, aesthetically nonexistent, and industrially crippled." Fittingly, his portrait of the complacent and disaffected upper class during Franco's regime opens with a crash, as adulterous couple María José (Lucia Bosé) and Juan (Alberto Closas) accidentally run over a man on a bicycle and, fearing discovery, leave the wounded cyclist behind. The man's death brings guilt upon Juan's shoulders, yet it also precipitates a painful new awareness: A former idealist hollowed out by the country's civil war, he comes to see the emptiness of his bourgeois ways as well as experience a renewal of his rebelliousness. María José, on the other hand, has no intention of trading the gilded cages supported by her husband Miguel (Otello Toso) for spiritual redemption, and soon becomes the femme fatale promised by the film's noir-tinged strains. The most intriguing aspect of Bardem's social critique is the way Juan's increasing need for exposure is contrasted with the sardonic insinuations of Rafa (Carlos Casaravilla), the slimy art critic whose observations on his decadent companions ("All the ugly things you hide, I dig them up and lay them before you") show that, within bourgeois circles, even self-critical impulses have become utterly corrupted. Unfortunately, many of Bardem's insights are blunted by his unsubtle technique, which provides redundant dialogue ("A new bracelet versus a thousand impoverished customers" is typical party chatter) and enough shock cuts for an entire John Frankenheimer retrospective. (Bosé's presence irresistibly invites comparison with Story of a Love Affair, but where Michelangelo Antonioni dissected his couple's alienation with a diamond-cutter's delicacy, Bardem for the most part merely parades it unilluminatingly.) Explicitly designed as a shock to the system, Death of a Cyclist too often settles for academic subversion.
In Juan Antonio Bardem’s Death of a Cyclist are undertones of the class war that existed during the Spanish Civil War. Between the upper and lower class was a division of power. Those with money had more of a say than the poor. The upper class was allowed to dictate what would happen with the lower class due to their standing of power. People who would have no idea what the working class was going through. In Death of a Cyclist, this tension between the classes is reflected in the film. María José and Juan both come from the upper class. Their level of involvement with the working class is evident in the way each handles the hit and run of the cyclist. María José barely gives a thought to what has happened to the cyclist. He is beneath her in her mind. However, Juan symbolizes that conscience of the upper class and thinks of what they have done to the cyclist. Juan thinks over what could have been done differently so that he would be morally right again. The film attempts to show the flaws of the upper class and the good in the lower. I would argue that both have the same qualities, but this depends on the choices that the people make.
ReplyDeleteAlthough, María José and Juan represent the upper class, each represents separate parts of the upper class. María José does not care for anyone but herself. Much like the Nationalist parties with the Republican parties caring about their own agenda. She refuses to think of others unless it is of a benefit to her. In the film, María José attends social gatherings with her husband that will elevate her social status. She desperately works to hide the cyclist murder to keep living the high life. María José is the reflection of the upper class with no conscience. Juan is much the opposite. Unlike María José, Juan considers the lost life of the cyclist. Even while he goes to the cyclist home to save himself, he sees the poverty of the people and feels sympathy. Juan shows the human qualities of the upper class. Through the film, Barden shows that there may be redeeming qualities in the upper class. It is possible for them to learn outside their selves.
Bardem reveals a clear desire to change the views that Franco set for the classes. Despite his untimely end, Juan is able to change. I believe that Bardem shows that the upper class division supporting Franco was capable of this as well.
Dentro de la obra "Muerte de un ciclista" hay tensiones subyacentes que están relacionados con la importancia del poder y de la futura. Parece que el director nos dice que el único poder que tenemos es el poder de tomar decisiones. Cada personaje tiene opciones por todo la pelicula, y sus decisiones determinan sus destinos respectivos. Mientras estos temas están explorados, nosotros vemos tópicos del contraste de la mentalidad más viejo de la burguesía con las ideas de la juventud y de los pobres, también.
ReplyDeleteLa pelicula empieza con un eleccion importante - la decisión por Juan y Maria de abandonar el ciclista moribundo en la calle. Este fue el momento vital por la trama del resto de la historia. Y por todo el argumento, cada personaje es forzado ocuparse de esta decisión. Eventualmente, el marido de Maria, Miguel, se presentó con el problema, también. La pelicula está definido por las reacciones de estas personas. Basado de cada respuesta a la situación, vemos que el único control que tenemos es en las decisiones que tomamos. Además, este tema tiene conexiones con la situación política de España en el momento.
En esta etapa de historia, hubo muchos problemas dentro del país de España. La diferencia en la posición social entre de los pobres y de los ricos y la lucha entre los valores tradicionales y contemporáneos fueron problemas importantes, y la futura era incierto. Parece que los creadores de la pelicula (y Bardem) creían que la esperanza para la futura era con la juventud. Pero hay un división entre de la burguesía y la nueva generación. Este es indicado por muchos aspectos del cine. Por ejemplo, cuando Juan está hablando con su estudiante en el campo de deportes, hay una valla que los separa. Y cuando él deja, hay atletas que están corriendo en la dirección opuesta. Este es un indicación de las diferencias de los mentalidades de los grupos que son representados.
La combinación de la importancia de la juventud y la necesidad tomar decisiones buenas es un tema profundo de la pelicula. Es implicado que habrá una necesidad para la nueva generación para tomar decisiones en la futura, y la esperanza es que sus elecciones fueren en oposición a la currente mentalidad de materialismo, egoísmo, y injusticia de los personajes principales de la historia.
Scott Weaver
Bardem’s Death of a Cyclist clearly has political and social tones. It truly reflects the tensions within the society and how different social groups and classes face these tensions. Mainly though, Bardem focuses on the injustice and cruelties of the upper class. This primarily comes out in the character of Maria. Bardem characterizes Maria as a woman representative of the upper class. This is shown in her extravagant clothes, planned parties and well respected name. Taking this into consideration though, when she is faced with tensions and difficulty, she ends up running away or trying to kill off her issues. Even more, she isn’t punished by society by this but only by fate. This reveals the power the upper class has in society. Fate is the only thing that can stop them, not the law nor society. Furthering the idea that upper class is oppressive is the motif of black, specifically that Maria continually wears black. Constantly throughout the film, she is in black clothing. At the party where Rafa meddles with her, she is wearing a black dress and when she runs over both men, she is wearing her black coat. This last observation is extremely important because the fact that Maria is in a black fur coat has several dimensions. The fur first indicates her social status because it is a pricey item but it also points to an animalistic aspect of her character. This acknowledges Maria’s ruthlessness, she is absolutely willing to kill for what she wants. Then, by nature, the black represents sin, death and simply badness. This, in all, characterizes Maria very strongly. She is troubled with her sin of adultery and killing the cyclist, then she tries to resolve it all by killing Juan. Maria really encompasses all that the color black symbolizes. For Bardem, this color symbolism and how Maria confronts her issues shows how awful the upper class is in total. Maria’s character reveals the political and social issues surrounding the upper class within the society.
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteJuan Antonio Bardem’s Death of a Cyclist (1955) is, “one of the first Spanish films to win the critics’ prize at a major European festival,” and also is one of the first few films to follow their own path during the time of Neorealism. Bardem does a great job giving off a Hitchcock vibe from the film, (first off Death of a Cyclist is in black and white) while keeping the audience on their toes by using the camera with close up visuals, and music to accentuate the emotions Bardem is trying to face. This movie does not have as much dialogue as most films, and expressions and lighting are extremely important in the film. The biggest observation I observed was the amount of close-ups on Marla José, as she is one of the main characters and is very expressive with her eyes. Marla and Juan deal with their infidelity issues, while dealing with the death of the cyclist Marla and her husband ran over, but did not lend a hand as fortune and keeping your name clean was very important during the time. Marla and her husband lived a very comfortable life, and the film does a great job showing the guilty conscious of Juan, while Marla does not even bat an eye from what she is trying to keep hidden.
Bardem uses close ups and lighting during dialogue throughout the film to keep the audience fully in entertainment, as Bardem thought ahead when compared to other directors. Bardem “had already been struggling to find a visual form for opposing Francoism,” so when his adaptations turned into film, it was usually an eye catcher. Again, Bardem does a great job showing the differences of the upper class/lower, and the integrity of different types of people. Personally, the movie kept me on my toes as I did not expect the ending until it happened, but I would have preferred more dialogue, as these type of films are not my most favorite.
Death of a Cyclist touched on controversial themes a few of which were the economics and politics following the Spanish Civil War, gender roles that both challenged and affirmed stereotypes, and class distinctions that are always sure to rile and divide. I would imagine that its creator Juan Antonio Bardem might have initially felt cautiously optimistic in introducing a film that presented bold statements on masculinity and femininity, that displayed the upper class as the elitist and frivolous (a great description used in class discussion today) social animals that they were. Given the political climate, Bardem risked personal and professional damnation for insinuations made in Death of a Cyclist but I believe he also knew that Spain yearned to become more accepted into the Western world and would allow muted implications such as these. I imagine that Bardem felt emboldened by the public’s response to the film and justified, if not proud, when the film was awarded the Fipresci prize at the Cannes Film Festival in 1955.
ReplyDeleteI was struck by the portrayal of the female lead, María José (Lucia Bosé) a manipulative and scheming woman, fully aware of the power she held over both her husband, Miguel (Otello Toso) as well as her lover, Juan (Alberto Closas). In the very first scene, Maria’s cold and merciless heart is exposed to the audience as she leaves the man she ran over for dead on the side of the road. Throughout the film, she is painted as a beautifully menacing vixen, feigning weakness in dramatic embraces of her men, drawing them in closer physically as well as psychologically as they (the strong men that they were) willingly obliged. Even her husband, after discovering her infidelity, stood up against her accuser, Rafa (Carlos Casaravilla), the smarmy socialite whose only capital was the secrets of others. Just as Eve manipulated Adam into committing the original sin, Maria uses the power of her femininity to lead Juan towards destruction and immorality. This is not to imply that Juan does not stand responsible for his own depraved decisions but as the film plays out, we come to understand the demons Juan is wrestling and forgive him as he seeks to right his wrongs. His backwards heroism is rewarded with betrayal by the one he loves and his hero status is further cemented as he dies attempting to turn himself in and face the consequences for his actions.
After thinking about this film for some time what really stands out to me are the 4 main characters, what they each represent and how each one deals with dynamic change within the system. All four belong to the bourgeois, but each one in a different manner. Miguel belongs there, Maria Jose married in, Juan is a reluctant member thrust upward by his sister’s husband and Rafa is a social climber, an outsider who has made himself “useful”.
ReplyDeleteMiguel, being the entrenched aristocratic type, is oblivious to the world outside his bubble. His character seems the most benign critique of the Franco-era nobility. What happens in the lower-class means little to him, but he doesn’t seem like an evil guy. He is self-assured of his position in society and would even tolerate adultery to maintain his carefully constructed reality. He is simply selfish. Maria Jose on the other hand is the typical bored socialite who engages in this affair and thinks nothing of it at all. She is the villain of this film and represents in every way the worst wealth and social elevation can produce. Not only is she selfish, but also dishonest and a murderer. These two characters aren’t dynamic in anyway. I think they represent the two sides of the wealthy class.
Rafa represents a new sort of class. He has more humble beginnings and can see the corruption and luridness of the folks he associates. His decision to blackmail the rich folks is based on his desire to affect change in the social status quo but it is motivated by selfish and personal reasons. His desire for change is like the rest of the world wanting Spain to change. It is change is stimulated from the outside so it is tinged with a bit of anger and frustration.
Juan is the most dynamic character in the film. I think he undergoes the necessary kind of internal change that Bardem is suggesting Spain needs. Juan is a product of this system and a beneficiary of his social class yet he is disenfranchised by what he sees and undergoes an awakening. One that he realizes he desperately needs after nearly losing his soul completely by covering up the death of the innocent cyclist. In the end when he is murdered, Bardem effectively says that this type of internal change may be difficult and even suppressed from within. He tempers this statement however with the ironic death of Maria Jose, as if to say that the righteousness of this social change will persevere. It was a very poignant and powerful way to end the film.
Matthew Braun
ReplyDeleteBecause director J.A. Bardem was an underground Communist, his film “Death of a Cyclist,” gave a secretive new light to the Bourgeoisie and Proletariat class while being disguised as a Franco-era film. Characters such as Maria Jose de Castro, Rafael Sandoval, and Miguel Castro represent the bourgeoisie class. One is able to identify these characters as bourgeois from the adornment of the sets that surround them. For example, most scenes tend to surround these particular characters with objects such as high-class abstract art, statues, or other adornments that would only belong to an upper-class citizen. Their problems and solutions to their own problems seem to be examples that would only belong to a bourgeois class. Rafa acts as if he knows something that is happening between Maria and Miguel strictly for his own gains. Miguel is aware that Maria is having an affair, but is more worried about their name being tarnished, so he allows this affair to be swept under the rug in order to preserve their status. Maria is the worst of all. After killing a bicyclist, her biggest worry is anybody finding out and her name tarnishing, as well as losing any status and money that she has obtained. This seems to be a commentary by Bardem to say that bourgeoisie only worry about their material achievements.
Bardem also commented on the proletariat class, but in a more positive light. Examples included the university class that banded together to protest their classmate being wronged at university. Although some seemed to only be apart of the protest “to yell about anything,” it still showed that the proletariat class is willing to band together in any instant. Another example of the lower-class being one that sticks together is when Juan visits the slum village where the late cyclist had lived. He spoke to the neighbor of the widow who was taking care of the widow’s children while she was out dealing with matters concerning her husband’s death.
For me, the main theme of this movie was selfish overindulgence of the upper-class bourgeoisies juxtaposed against the selflessness of the lower-class proletariat.
In Juan Antonio Bardem’s film Death of a cyclist, there is an apparent social commentary on the class division that takes place during Franco’s regime. Parties and alcohol pleasantly distract the upper class although they (sort of) attempt to display some humanity for the working class by being charitable towards the “stupid” and “poor” children. All individuals pertaining to the upper class appear superficial, uncaring, and in some cases slimy except for Juan. After hitting the cyclist, Juan is troubled by the event and eventually wants to come clean. Maria Jose, on the other hand, wants nothing more than to forget it happened and lives in fear the entire time. It is interesting to note that she was driving the car that hit the cyclist and she hits Juan with the car at the end. There is a stark contrast throughout the movie that paints the working class as innocent and more relatable than the cold and shiny upper class. It also depicts the youth as being pure hearted and somewhat revolutionary. They are seen solving complicated equations, exercising, and protesting the unfair action of Juan after he sends one of his students away from the board in the middle of an exam. I feel like Bardem puts the young and working class in a positive light because these groups are the hope for the future, whereas the upper class is the opposite. The best example of this is the cyclist at the end that causes Maria Jose to crash. Instead of fleeing the scene like Maria Jose and Juan, the cyclist heads toward a house for help. When Juan goes to visit the family of the cyclist, there is a lot of yelling between the people that live in the neighborhood. This scene offers a sense of community that is very different than that of the upper class.
ReplyDeleteJuan Antonio Bardem’s Death of a Cyclist (1955) is a captivating and suspenseful film that not only serves as a fantastic form of entertainment to the public, but also presents a realistic depiction of society and life in Spain during Franco’s regime. Bardem was greatly influenced and inspired by both Hollywood melodrama, as well as by Italian neorealism, which both can be clearly seen throughout the entirety of his film. With one of the major goals of Italian neorealism being to reveal massive amounts about social context and societal realities, it is no wonder that Death of a Cyclist goes into depth exploring the stark differences between the upper and lower classes, as well as the overall corruption, selfishness, and superiority that existed among the elite. Bardem already displays this corruption in the opening scene of the film when Marίa José and Juan Soler accidently crash into a cyclist while driving on a dirt road. After crashing into him, the couple stops, realizes that he is still alive, and decides to leave him for dead simply because he is a nuisance and inconvenience to them, and because they do not want their secret love affair to be discovered. To both Marίa José and Juan, their affair, overall happiness, and societal status are all more important than a man’s life. Another way in which Bardem presents the corruption of the upper class and the existent separation between the high and low classes of Spanish society is through his depiction of the stark contrast that exists between the living conditions and daily life of the elite and lower classes. For example, throughout the film, the upper class is seen attending fancy parties with food, drinks, and live music that are held within beautifully ordained and modern-looking houses. The guests, including Marίa José, her husband, and Juan, are all done-up and dressed in expensive-looking clothing and jewelry. In complete contrast to this, the poorer class is represented in the scene of the movie where Juan goes to find the cyclist’s family. While he is there, the living conditions and apartments of the lower class are depicted as dirty, small, disorganized, and old. All of the women there are busy tending to their children and cleaning their tiny living spaces. Not one person is seen dressed up and well put together; instead, they are all dirty, unkempt, and wearing what appears to be rags. By demonstrating this stark contrast between the elite and the lower classes, Bardem is able to shed light upon this issue, as well as demonstrate the corruption of the upper class. CONT...
ReplyDeleteIn addition to demonstrating this concept within his film, Bardem also displays the power, importance, and influence that the youth possessed within Spanish society at the time. For example, the younger generation is depicted as intelligent, courageous, unified, healthy, and strong. This intelligence can be seen when the character of Matilde is at the board explaining a complicated math problem with great detail and precision. Along with demonstrating this intelligence, Matilde also exudes courage by standing up to Juan and fighting for her grade to be changed. Later in the film, because of the injustice that occurs with Matilde at the school, a large group of young individuals unite together to fight for change. Although it is something relatively small, they all stick together, and their passion is absolutely tangible. Lastly, near the end of the film, this young generation is seen exercising and participating in athletic activities on a sport’s field, which openly demonstrates their overall strength and health. Not only are the youth depicted in this positive light, but they are also the source of inspiration to Juan that ultimately leads him to change his ways. Instead of focusing on status, greed, and money (all high priorities among the elite), the young generation inspires Juan to turn back to the values and morals that he knows to be true. By presenting the youth in this way and demonstrating the power and influence that they had on Juan, I personally believe that Bardem is hinting to the idea that the youth were the only ones who had the power to pull Spain out of its grim situation during Franco’s regime, and to help the nation start fresh and new.
ReplyDeleteAlex Willis
ReplyDeleteIn the film, Muerte de un Ciclista Juan Antonio Bardem explores the ideas of conflict and morality within individuals of the upper middle class in Spain during the mid twentieth century. During this time Francisco Franco’s dictatorship had a significant influence on pop culture and like Bardem said in the Marsha Kinder article, ‘“Spanish cinema is politically ineffective, socially false, intellectually worthless, aesthetically nonexistent, industrially crippled.”’ This statement gives us an idea of what he was trying to convey through this film as an attempt to move towards neorealism.
Bardem’s most noticeable effort to break this trend in my opinion was by using the morals of the upper middle class characters such as Maria Jose and Juan. It is apparent from the beginning of the film what type of character Maria Jose has when she runs over the cyclist and insists on leaving him behind. She then proceeds to try to hide this murder as well as an affair from Miguel, Rafa, and others. In the end her morals come back to bite her as she drives her car off the bridge to avoid the cyclist allowing the story to complete its circle. Not only do her actions catch up with her in the end, but she spends the entire film trying to hide her actions from the past to maintain her reputation and status in her social life. Juan is the other main character where conflicting morals are present. Juan wanted to help the cyclist but decided against it to maintain his relationship with Maria. It also must be noted that he probably acted against his will when failing the Matilde at the school. Ultimately Juan made the right choices by apologizing to Maltide as well as resigning and attempting to turn himself in, but its as if Bardem is trying to get the point across that there are consequences for every action no matter what your social standing. To play off this idea I think Bardem is trying to show that the upper middle class holds too much power and the results of their actions can have negative effects on lower class citizens like the cyclists family. With this in mind the director could also be suggesting that those with money and power should show some sympathy and give more to the less fortunate in Spanish society.
Moving away from morality, one other aspect of the film I found compelling was the setting in each of the scenes. I think Bardem did a great job of using decorations, props, lighting and relative position of each character to enhance each scene, and add extra significance in a time where special effects did not exist.
Adylene Silva
ReplyDeleteEn la película “Muerte de un Ciclista” los espectadores pueden ver capas profundas en la dirección de Juan Antonio Bardem para la película. El director tiene una manera increíble con la cámara y el ángulo para realmente apreciar las escenas. Una de las distinciones más importantes en la película es la diferencia de clase sociales. Las clases sociales se pueden ver desde los ricos a la clase media baja. Lo que esto proporciona es paralelos al mundo económico emergente que España estaba experimentando en el tiempo que se hizo la película. Esta brecha de distribución de la riqueza es un refleja de su sociedad. El espectador puede ver esto en las diferencias entre los protagonistas. Por ejemplo, María José está desesperada por mantener su extravagante estilo de vida, que su marido incluso señala que ella ama más de lo que él representa y provee para ella que amarlo como es. La película no está clara si ella vino de riqueza, pero ella es rica a lo largo de la película. El carácter de Rafa está constantemente tratando de ascender en la escala social. Chantajea a María con la esperanza de ya no ser un espectador a los partidos y la sociedad, pero espera que se integra con su ayuda. Los espectadores ven el mundo de los ricos, pero también miran el mundo de la clase media baja. Las distinciones varían mucho, desde su casa al discurso y a la sensación general de la comunidad de trabajo. Esta distribución de la brecha de riqueza es un aspecto importante de la película, también juega un papel importante cuando María y Juan atropellan a el ciclista. Hay un aspecto de privilegio a la hora de abandonar la escena del crimen, y que se refleja al final de la película cuando un ciclista se detiene para ayudar a María después de que ella se bloquea. La película es relevante a la hora de España y es un comentario sutil sobre la distribución de la riqueza en España y cómo eso afecta la vida cotidiana del pueblo y a qué longitudes van para mantener o alcanzar ese estatus social.
Siendo esta la primera película que he visto del director, Juan Antonio Bardem, Muerte de un ciclista (1955) es una película comprometedora e interesante, ya que incluye varios temas delicados, los cuales eran considerados escandalosos y atrevidos durante la dictadura de Francisco Franco. Juan Antonio Bardem se encontraba, al igual que otros directores españoles, limitado y controlado en términos de poder expresar sus ideas por medio de sus filmes durante la época franquista. Todo tipo de películas producidas tenían que ser aprobadas por Franco, ya que él quería demostrar un retrato falso de la sociedad española, escondiendo los serios problemas del país. En otras palabras, a los directores se les prohibía producir películas con escenas sexuales, de drogas, de desnudos, o simplemente escenas donde se oponían al régimen de Franco y los estrictos valores católicos. Bardem fue el director que consiguió producir algunos aspectos considerados desafiantes a las ideas franquistas, por medio de la inspiración del director italiano, Michelangelo Antonioni. Es así como Bardem, en cierto modo, pudo producir esta película retratando algunas de las realidades de la sociedad española y aún siendo aprobada por Franco. En la película, Bardem muestra la comparación y los problemas entre la clase de la alta burguesía y la clase pobre. Esto se retrata durante las fiestas que asisten los personajes principales de María, Juan y Miguel, donde hacen chistes y comentarios ofensivos hacia la clase pobre. El personaje de María me pareció el más interesante de los tres porque ella terminó siendo el personaje cruel y la villana de la historia. Su obsesión con la vida llena de lujos y riquezas materiales le causó a perderlo todo, incluyendo a su esposo, su amante y hasta su propia vida. El personaje de Juan, aunque fue cómplice con María en la muerte del ciclista presentado al principio de la historia, se dio cuenta de la vida que llevaba, rodeado del mismo tipo de personas de la alta sociedad. Así es como decidió querer entregarse a las autoridades para confesar el crimen cometido. Desafortunadamente, Juan, sabiendo que lo había perdido todo debido a los hechos entre él y María, fue atropellado por su misma amante. Bardem revela los problemas de la sociedad española durante la dictadura de Franco particularmente por medio de las clases sociales, donde los ricos se convierten en personas más ricas y los pobres en personas más pobres. Este tema representa las consecuencias que vivió España bajo Franco, cuando se convirtió en el país más atrasado y pobre de Europa.
ReplyDelete-Bianca Soto
Death of A Cyclist Review (Part I)
ReplyDelete--Xiaoke Qi
Director J.A. Bardem used the most direct way to pass his thoughts to the audience through the movie. He questioned the moral and humanity in the pursuit of wealth, power and social positions. The reactions of Maria and Juan to the car accident and the death of the cyclist were very different, but their behaviors matched their background and personality. Maria was a rich man’s wife with a famous family name, enviable wealth, and high social position. With the foundation of the financial support, she pursued “the true love” by having an affair with Juan. She represented the traditional image of Spain imperial authority that valued the existing power yet still was greedy of new democratic development. However, her love became fear after the death of the cyclist. Maria was afraid of losing her social role, power and money, and eventually the selfishness pushed her into the abyss of greedy. Franco welcomed the industrial development and tourism to overcome the depression caused by WWII, but he still managed to keep the imperial power. Director J.A. Bardem was worried that the social transition might lead to the loss of humanity and the fall of moral, and thus sent out a warning in the movie through Maria’s murder and death.
Juan was a college professor, representing the new generation of clerisy with knowledge and open hearts. His love forced him to give up saving the cyclist to protect Maria, but the regret and guilty stayed on his shoulder. After the visit to the death’s family, Juan revealed the truth of his love as “teen affair [that] became romantic future”. Juan was not happy about the family connection, especially his brother-in-law’s help in his career, and always wanted to make a change, but he struggled. The revolution of college students that supported justice gave him the courage to face the changes. However, his pioneering spirit could not move and affect Maria. Juan’s heart was full of courage, hope and love when facing changes, but the social resistance knocked him down. Director J.A. Bardem laid a lot of emphasis on Juan who had the honorable military experience and clearly criticized the society for blaming war as a “convenient [reason] to explain death and destruction”. He warned the revolution pioneers to be cautious in the transition and not to use the social transition to destroy the country.
Death of A Cyclist Review (Part II)
ReplyDelete--Xiaoke Qi
Death of a Cyclist started with a classical long shot that highlighted the deserted street view, symbolizing the inner emptiness and cold of the middle class. In contrast to the car, the lonely cyclist indicated the weakness of the lower class. The movie revealed the struggling of the middle class when facing changes and the suffering of the lower class as the vulnerable groups in this transition. Director J.A. Bardem carefully described the cold and mercilessness of the middle class under the glamorous cover. The ladies held charities not to help “the silly and stupid kids” but to have the parties to build up connections and to “have fun”. Rafa managed to get into those parities, yet his role as an art critic placed him as a lower position, entertainer. Thus, he tried to gain respect not through hard work but by digging people’s privacy. Maria was not loyal to her marriage even though she got everything, money and power, from her husband. She repeated three times after the car accident that she wanted everything to be the same so that she did not lose anything. However, she ignored the fact that the cyclist lost his life. The movie set up an interesting contrast between the middle class and the lower class. The scene on the middle class, like in the party, in Maria’s house, or in Juan’s family, was bright, yet it usually passed out the cold emotions. In contrast, the middle class was usually captured through dimer scene, yet telling a friendly close-related connection. When Juan visited the death’s family, the community was shot under the dim light, but it conveyed the hope and warm feelings. Juan and Maria’s car killed a lower class cyclist, and they had more power and more control than the lower class. However, a large wave of cyclists passed Juan on his way leaving the community. The new changes will eventually move to the leading position and leave the old system behind.
En “Muerte de un Ciclista” por Juan Antonio Bardem hay un paralelo entre los caracteres y el régimen de Franco. El régimen de Franco básicamente purgaba todos los nacionalistas que no se uniría a su administración. Todo lo que no se unieron lo matarían. Puede ver lo mismo con María, una carácter catalizador en la película, cuando se comete el primer crimen irreversible de la muerte del ciclista. Tener miedo de los consecuencias, la adúltera María y su amante Juan lo dejaron morir. Mientras María caracteriza la burguesía durante el régimen de Franco, Juan es más un carácter moral para la clase baja; él va a un barrio empobrecido, siente más culpable en el lugar de temeroso, y últimamente, quiere entregarse. Juan empieza a sentir emociones de culpa y comienza a carecer el valor de la clase alta que es muy importante para Maria en lo mismo momento que Rafa, un amigo malo de Maria y su esposo, Miguel Castro, empieza a instigar más miedo en María porque él sospecha sus pecados. María solo displica miedo sobre esto, porque puede perder su vida de glamour a causa de sus pecados. El hecho que Juan siente comodidad a perder su estado para redención, que se puede ver en el final de la película, y que Rafa está probando a corromper la clase alta de adentro hacia afuera demuestra la corrupción del régimen de Franco después de La segunda Guerra Mundial.
ReplyDeleteBardem añade confusión para el espectador en los fondos que utiliza. Ante todo, la iglesia, el circo, y la carretera tranquilla. La iglesia es donde María está feliz por primera vez en la película. Esta escena de la iglesia que Bardem presenta es muy contradictorio porque es despues de María descubre que Rafa solo había sabido sobre el asunto. Después de constantemente diciendo que ella tiene miedo que ella se demuestra que finalmente está tan feliz. Tan feliz. En una iglesia. Después de un asunto que se ha descubierto y uno que todavía está oculto. Los personajes de catalizador también están representados en un circo donde comienzan a discutir la progresión morboso de sus pecados; adulterio y homicidio. El hecho que están discutiendo cosas como asi en un lugar tan optimista demuestra la seguridad de la clase alta y los paralelos de la felicidad y el pecado. El último fondo que es la causa de la confusión para el espectador es la carretera tranquila donde María y Juan cometen el pecado más peor. Es donde el espectador ha visto el primer y el final de la película. Bardem crea un completo contraste entre las configuraciones y las acciones en las escenas en la carretera. Todas las escenas relatan a la naturaleza contradictoria de la película; la clase alta y la clase baja, la felicidad en lugar de la culpa de pecados, y la tranquilidad de la carretera mezclado con la muerte.
The minimalism contained within Bardem’s semi-neorealist plot is refreshing. We exist today in a culture that places much more emphasis on individual experiences to the point of hyper-focused character isolation which, although potentially interesting, has become such the norm that a greater sense of social impact and social pattern has been lost along the way. As all things are cyclical, it is certainly possible that we might return to a more symbolic (like Bardem’s work) and less flashy cinema at some point in the future.
ReplyDeleteAlthough “Death of a Cyclist” did exaggerate many techniques for emphasis, this did not rob the film of meaning. The character Rafa for example might symbolize the judging eye of Franco’s highly controlled society. But perhaps this art critic is Spanish society in the 1950’s simply reflecting a mirror back onto itself. Rafa makes it easy to despise him, but his job is exactly that, a critic. His job is to critique art, which is merely a reflection of the human condition of a given time. Rafa might be unaware that he has a choice to do anything else. He is resigned to his role as observer and commentator of the bourgeois. When speaking with Maria Jose, he victimizes himself, saying, “I am the loser. I endure you. I see your sins; I file them away.” Is he the devil on the shoulders of those who choose to go outside of societal expectations? Or is he representative of an omniscient god, distributing Catholic guilt to the shamed masses? Either way, Rafa cannot be simply written off as a scum of the earth ne’er do well.
It is easier to write Maria Jose off as a “witch” as Marsha Kinder put it than to label any of the other characters as evil. Even Maria Jose seems intensely conflicted through the whole of the film, suggesting that she has some semblance of a conscience. Yet, Maria’s perpetual frightened state is likely a result of her being found out and not the result of a guilty conscience. The conflict between Spanish society trying desperately to move forward and at the same time being held back by ill-planned or intentioned forces or people is palpable in Death of a Cyclist. The melodrama and exaggeration might be overly obvious at times, but it does not take away from a captivating critique of post-Franco culture.
Juan Antonio Bardem’s “Muerte de un Cilista” really brings to light the separation in Spain between the lower class and the upper class in post Civil War times. It encompasses the range of values of the bourgeois class. Which I feel has a connection to the values of Spain as a country. The film begins with Juan and Maria Jose running over a cyclist and just leaving him there to die. We can see how their values are challenged throughout the film after this incident happened. Not only are Juan and Maria Jose committing adultery, but have also killed a man. You can see how Maria Jose’s greed and love for money and all of the things that she has blinds her and makes her become this horrible person without morals. A big theme I saw between the bourgeois class was selfishness. Towards the end of the film when Maria Jose is confessing to her husband Miguel that she cheated on him and killed a man he tells her that the only reason he likes her is because of her selfishness. He is willing to sweep everything under the rug to protect his name and keep it clean. To Miguel the most important thing is having an honorable and clean family name. To Maria Jose, money and material things matter the most. Juan though, has different values than they both do. Juan is a fair main who served in the war and came back to a married girlfriend, which he still loved. I feel like his love for her made him think that adultery was ok in this case. Overall, though he seems like he has his head on straight and towards the end he gets tired of the lies and decides to turn himself in. He feels like he does not have much to lose and the only reason I feel he did not turn himself in sooner was because of the love he had for Maria Jose. He ultimately just wanted to protect her. The other character that had skewed values was Rafa. He was blackmailing Juan and Maria Jose because he knew of their affair, it was kind of his way of making his way up the ladder. This all goes back to Spain and how the countries values were challenged post civil war, the upper class had the power and they as well as Franco were full of greed and selfishness much like what is portrayed through these characters. In the end when Juan wants to turn himself in, it connects to the idea of how much Spain is willing to revolutionize to have fairness prevail. In the end everything really falls into place and in a way fairness does prevail because the killers of the cyclist wound up dead as well.
ReplyDelete-Kassandra Yanez
Death of a Cyclist is an entertainment film close to the style of Hitchcock. The heavily painted noir visuals and linear, suspense narrative make the popular focus of the film clear. The shadow of Franco wrapped tightly around the intent and purpose of the film is supported by these features of the movie, and it is strongly a pro Franco-regime story. However, some of the filmmaker’s anti-establishment and profoundly communist tendencies shine through in ways a little more subtle than the overall theme of the film.
ReplyDeleteConsider, first, that the author was a communist. The villains of the film are not government representatives, but aristocracy. Granted, it may not have been possible to pass off a story that directly criticized the government, but the villains were also not outsider’s which may have been an acceptable choice. The filmmaker needed to criticize elements of Spanish society.
Next, examine the character of Rafa. Rafa is the director, in a symbolic capacity. Rafa characterizes himself as a representative of culture when talking to Maria Jose in the gallery. When asked why he blackmails, Rafa says he does it for money and truth. Considering his feeble attempts at collecting on his blackmail, since he volunteers what he knows out of sheer spite for the perceived supremacy of the aristocrats that snub him, it is evident that his real interest is in “revealing their sins”. Revealing the sins of two aristocrats is exactly what the film itself is doing under the guidance of a Spanish cultural representative, director Antonio Bardem. When, much like the society Bardem finds himself in, his attempts to use the truth to effect something (in this case, blackmail) nobody listens to Rafa. Rafa becomes frustrated and throws bottle through a window, the use of that common action from protesters as a point of transition immediately connects Rafa’s feelings with that of the protesters.
Furthermore, in the wide shot of the protesters, the camera’s shadow is cast deliberately across the crowd. It’s a reflexive message from the author. The shadow calls attention to the making of the film, the reality in what is otherwise an obviously melodramatic fabrication. With that shadow, Bardem says, “This is real. These young protester and the injustice of the establishment figure they’re protesting, this is Spanish reality.” By pointing out reality, he implicates the fascist plot of the rest of the film as a farce.
David Lopez
ReplyDeleteJuan Antonio Bardem Muerte de un Ciclista
La película de Muerte de un Ciclista, se trata de una pareja que están en un relación de adulterio, y cuando vienen en regreso de un paseo atropellan a un ciclista y dejan el cuerpo tirado en la calle. La película entonces adapta varios elementos de diferentes estilos cinemáticos para contar una historia que puede relacionar con la sociedad Española en los tiempos de cuando estaba Franco en poder. La película está influenciado por Alfred Hitchcock, filme noir, y por el cine neorrealista de Italia. La película utiliza un “macguffin” (que es una marca de Hitchcock) con el ciclista; el “macguffin” es el ciclista porque él no tiene mucho que ver con la historia, sino el ciclista funciona para que Bardem pueda contar una historia sobre la sociedad política de España.
Es importante anotar que Juan es Francoista, y era soldado, presumiblemente, para los nacionalistas. Aunque sea el protagonista de la película, no necesariamente es buena persona. Juan está en conflicto porque se siente culpable por ver matado al ciclista, Juan, harto de su forma de vivir y su vida mediocre, decide que por el amor se va entregar a la policía y va empezar su vida de nuevo. Pero Juan no fue el que mato ciclista, fue María José. Juan se siente culpable por que aunque el no mato el ciclista el no informo que han atropellado a un hombre. Juan entiende lo que hico es malo y lo que tiene que ser para liberarse de su consciencia es entregarse. Pero no nomas se hubiera liberar de su consciencia, también de su vida que odia. Juan odia su vida de profesor de Universidad, y se siente solo con la gente de alta clase entre su círculo de amigos. Por eso en el principio de la película Juan no quiso salir a la fiesta. El asocia más con los estudiantes que protestaban contra las injusticia de Juan contra Matilde sus protestas lo recuerdan de su juventud. Pero Juan esta matado al final de la película por María José. Juan representa el español nacionalista, que intenta cambiar su manera de ser a como era antes. El deseo de Juan de cambiar a como era antes representa que lo viejo es mejor que lo nuevo o lo tradicional siempre supera lo moderno.
La muerte de Juan también tiene mucho simbolismo. Cuando Juan quiere hablar urgentemente con María José en la iglesia, en salida un padre le pregunta a Juan si se quiere confesar. Juan dice que no y, por un aspecto religioso, no se salvó. Juan aproximadamente muere como una representación de que no fue salvado, aunque cambio poco, tiene que ser castigado por sus pecados – particularmente, su pecado de adulterio. España es un país muy católico, y los morales católicos casi son los mismos morales españoles. El adulterio es un pecado mortal y el castigo de Juan es muerte.
Muerte de un ciclista, de Juan Antonio Bardem es un largometraje astutamente formado, en el que la yuxtaposición es efectivamente implementada. El relato es un círculo completo porque empieza con la muerte accidental de un ciclista, donde los culpables son una pareja ilícita por el adulterio. Ambos vivían con cierto nivel de temor de ser descubiertos, pero después del accidente, sus vidas se convierten en miedo de ser descubiertos de un crimen de muerte. El miedo causa que la atmosfera y el ambiente de la obra sean sofocante y depresiva. Las cámaras captan a los protagonistas en posiciones restringidas y la angulación frente a los rostros causa desesperación y frustración. En combinación, todos estos elementos son necesarios para influir los sentidos del espectador.
ReplyDeleteYa establecido el clima del relato, el productor logra fundar los caracteres de cada protagonista. La conciencia de Juan inmediatamente lo redarguye de su pecado y no puede estar tranquilo. María José no siente remordimiento, si no miedo por lo que ser descubierta significa. Los dos culpables son de la clase superior y tienen mucho que perder. El ciclista era un hombre de familia de la sociedad pobre y laboral. Miguel, el esposo de María José, es un hombre que ha establecido una reputación valiosa en su círculo de la alta sociedad y un nombre impecable. Rafa, un asociado de Miguel, juega entre los dos mundos de las clases sociales y busca los pecados de los de la alta sociedad para su propia ganancia. Al mismo tiempo, Rafa, está consciente de su verdadera imagen ante la clase alta. Matilde es una joven, estudiante de Juan, y que sufre injusticia por Juan porque le da una mala marca en su clase sin merecerlo, Matilde se defiende ante Juan sabiendo que “está sola y que al profesor le ayudara su cuñado por ser decano de la universidad,” Este encuentro sirve como catalizador en la vida de Juan porque empieza a despertar a la realidad de su situación. Matilde no está sola, los estudiantes de la universidad se unen en protesta y demandan la renuncia de Juan. Al final, Juan y María son expuestos por Rafa ante Miguel pero, Juan decide cambiar internamente y confesar su crimen, Miguel prefiere ignorar el adulterio de María para conservar su nombre. María prefiere hundirse más en el lado oscuro de su conciencia y mata a Juan para que no confiese su crimen y no perder su lujo. El resultado de las interrelaciones de todos los protagonistas, componen la receta perfecta de la yuxtaposición.
Entrando en profundidad, Juan representa a una España con conciencia y que debe reflexionar para poder cambiar como nación. María José representa a una España bañada del Franquismo, llena de egoísmo, sin conciencia y que valora solo lo material y el poder. El ciclista representa a la España que Franco mato, la esencia de lo que España era; simple, laboral, de familia y de unidad. Rafa representa la confusión de identidad de España y su posición en la comunidad de países. Pero también juega con las clases sociales porque no existe una clase media entre la pobreza y el lujo. Matilde representa a la nueva generación en España que despierta con una visión de luchar por justicia y de conciencia que cambiara el sistema de Franco. Al final del largometraje, María mata, irónicamente, a Juan en el mismo lugar que murió el ciclista con su coche. Talvez el director quiere comunicar que ambas mentalidades de la España de Franco deben hacer campo para la nueva generación pero cerrando el círculo del relato, dándole honor al ciclista que representa a los españoles de vida simple, de familia, que laboran honestamente.
Ivan Chinchilla
ReplyDeleteMuerte de un Ciclista
En la película de Muerte de un Ciclista por el director Juan Bardem somos introducidos a los personajes principales después de que han cometieron un crimen penal. María y Juan son los responsable pero como son amantes y no quieren ser descubiertos por la policía y el investigación que después de serse publico, le constara su matrimonio y todos los lujos que lo acompaña. Entonces como los villanos que son, se van y tratan de continuar con su vida como nada paso. Con esta escena el director Juan Bardem esta jugando con las políticas de su país. Durante la dictadura de Franco los morales de la sociedad eran de un España antigua. Entonces los que engañan a su pareja automáticamente son villanos, y es la primera escena de la película.
Empezando una película de esta manera con este tipo de referencia nos hace pensar que van a ver muchas relaciones entre la política española en este tiempo y el desarrollo de la película. Esto se puede ver claramente en la historia de la pareja protagonista de la película. Jorge es un profesor de una universidad que esta teniendo una relación con su ex novia que no lo quiso esperar durante lucho con las tropas voluntarias que lucharon contra los comunistas durante la segunda guerra mundial. Por su falta de paciencia y de una necesidad de tener todas estas cosas lujosas empezó el fracaso que los motivo a dejar el ciclista. Un desarrollo muy lógico y cronológico que se parece como si fuera siguiendo una guía histórica.
La historia política y los efectos en los seres humanos viviendo durante ese tiempo es la manera por la cual el director Bardem usa para el desarrollo de la película. Por ejemplo, después de la muerte de el ciclista, Jorge esta leyendo un periódico durante un final de una estudiante y cuando lee que encontraron el cuerpo de un ciclista empieza a la locura. Le dice a la estudiante que se necesita sentar aunque esta en medio de ensenar su final y por eso falla la clase. Después de eso la estudiante se enfrenta a Jorge y le dice que lo que hizo no era justo y no había remedio porque Jorge no lo quería cambiar y era el cuñado del Deán de la universidad. Un conflicto que resulta en la huelga de estudiantes demandando justicia por esta injusticia. De esta escena podemos ver una la demostración de la corrupción en España. Y también la presentación de cómo la gente española puede combatirlo. En fin, la película esta llena de escenas y temas que resultan criticando el gobierno de Franco pero la población Española por falta de acción también.