Death of a Cyclist (Muerte de un ciclista) (Muerte de un ciclista)

INTERNATIONAL CRITICS PRIZE CANNES 1955

Screenplay by J. A. BARDEM Based on a Story by L. F. De Igoa

DEATH OF A CYCLIST

He's still alive.

Juan!

I'm frightened.

Why? Nobody saw us.

Are you sure?

It's late.

Yes, it's late.

- Will you call me? - Of course.

All right, all right...

They're making the most of it!

If a husband gives his wife a bracelet for no special reason, it means...

Business is going well.

A new bracelet versus a thousand impoverished customers.

It means...

He's cheating on her.

- It means... - He loves her.

Love, love, love!

When's dinner around here?

- Be patient, Rafa. - When do we eat?

You mind if we wait for Carmina and Jorge?

Jorge's too important not to wait for him.

What's that?

You like it? It just came to me.

- What's it called? - "Blackmail."

I saw you.

5:30 p.m., the highway to France, in a Fiat, going 60 mph.

- Destination? - Unknown.

Reason for journey? - Tourism.

Anything to declare? Jewels? Drugs?

Sins? - Just personal effects.

Lovers?

- Madam is waiting dinner for you. - What?

Dinner.

I'll be right there.

Forgive me.

- Carmina and Jorge? - They're always late. I never wait.

Is something wrong?

Is something worrying you?

No, Mother. Why?

- How are classes going? - Fine.

Will they make you a professor?

I don't think so. I'd have to work too hard.

Then work. You can go out to the ranch. It'll be quiet there.

And boring.

Of course. I keep my affairs in order.

Yes. Carmina is happily married.

I fulfill my role as black sheep.

The virtuous brothers are deceased...

and the family's glory is on display behind glass.

And here!

Anything wrong with that?

No, it's just fine.

It's Miss Carmina.

Mother? Yes, I know we're very late.

We stayed at the Castros' place.

Jorge says you must excuse us.

What a pity! Juan's gone too?

It's Mother.

You forgive us, don't you? We'll have lunch tomorrow.

We couldn't stay long tonight anyway. We're all dressed up.

No, at the American embassy. All right.

Maria José sends her regards. Tell Juan we're waiting for him.

It was your sister.

She and Jorge send their regards,

and so does Mrs. Castro.

They're waiting for you at the party.

I'll pass.

- Not interested? - In my sister?

No, the party. Maria José and that crowd.

Not much.

Neither Carmina, nor her husband Jorge...

your son-in law and my brother-in-law.

Why not? He's a fine man.

He should be, as high up as he is.

Isn't he good to us all? And to you?

Sure. I owe my modest salary as assistant professor to him.

You might be made professor.

For that matter...

I might be dean too,

thanks to Jorge,

but...

My brother Juan's a failure.

- Why? - He doesn't want to do anything.

- A pity, isn't it? - What?

The way Juan is destroying his future. Jorge could help him so much.

At no time in history have such marvelous circumstances come together.

He always sounds like he's giving a speech.

At no time, I tell you!

One of the rare men who can talk for hours yet say nothing.

You might ask, "In other moments, in other circumstances,

have similar opportunities not arisen?"

No, a thousand times no!

With this I conclude my talk-

This voice of mine falls silent,

this voice that reaffirms once more our vigilant and unwavering position

on every aspect of our life as a nation-

His final remarks met with vigorous applause-

The party continued in a stylish and congenial tone,

heightened by the presence of notable figures-

Our society ladies took up a collection

for the Christmas campaign,

raising much more than in preceding years-

"Keep the change, ma'am-"

Tucson, Arizona-A terrible fire has cost the Bardem Stores $800,000-

- What? - Wouldn't you like to come?

Where?

What's the matter?

Haven't you been listening? - I'm sorry. You were saying?

- I was talking about that trip. - Take me along.

On a business trip?

Business ends at sundown all over the world.

How do you spend your evenings?

Missing you.

You know I always miss you.

Do you really want to come?

You come here.

We could leave right away

and escape.

From what?

Everything.

Always the same faces. Every day like all the others.

Nothing ever happens.

You really think so?

Miguel, let's leave right away.

It must be shown that the outline of the toroid

is equal to the circumference...

If we suppose that the center of the circumference

describes an ellipse of semi-axis M and N,

the parametric equations of this ellipse will be...

DEATH OF A CYCLIST

Eliminating alpha gives us equation No. 1...

an orthogonal projection on plane Z=O

of the base circumference of the surface...

Go away!

Miguel, Emperor is ready.

I should say! He ran five furlongs in...

- In 1.4. - Let's give Emperor a hand.

- He died. - Who?

The cyclist.

Did it say so in the paper?

Nothing else? - Just that.

I see.

I assume they know nothing about the car.

What are we going to do?

I can't think of anything. Wait.

To be found out?

- We have to stay calm. - And make a plan.

- Will I see you later? - Yes.

Hey, Maria José! Juan!

Have you seen the paper? - Anything important?

Depends what you call important.

- What is it? - Wait a minute.

Not the editorials. The comics are dumb.

Sports... nothing.

"News in brief." Here it is. Let's see.

Don't you love the news in brief?

"House under construction collapses." "Crime of passion."

"Death of a cyclist." Here it is.

"Theft." Thieves stole Piluca Bravo's emerald necklace.

Isn't that great?

I'm sure he knows. He has to.

We're ruined, Juan!

Nobody could know. Nobody saw us.

He did. He told me so last night.

What did he say exactly?

He saw you on the highway in your car.

He saw you... and only you.

That's different.

What about the paper? He knows everything.

Think about it.

It could be a coincidence, an innocent remark.

Isn't that possible?

I don't know. I'm so frightened.

I'm afraid, Juan.

What are we going to do? - There's nothing we can do.

Just wait, right? For what?

We have to find out. - What?

What they know.

The police. Rafa.

We have to find out what we did.

We killed a man, didn't we?

All right. I'll look into it.

- I'll see to Rafa. - Be careful.

- Of Rafa? - Everything.

You might reveal one thing while trying to cover up another.

Like what? That I love you?

No, not here.

I'd like a word with you.

With me?

What's the matter? - I failed my exam.

Your name is Matilde Luque, isn't it?

And they failed you. That's a shame.

It's not fair.

Perhaps not. Professors make mistakes too.

It wasn't the professor. It was you!

- Me? - You were reading the paper.

I presented my problem perfectly.