Death of a subaltern

This article provides a comparative analysis of Muerte de un ciclista (dir. Juan Antonio Bardem, 1955) and La mujer sin cabeza (dir. Lucrecia Martel, 2008). It argues that both films use the hit-and-run motif to address class difference, but also to reflect on key historical events such as the Spani...

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Bibliographic Details
Author: Mourenza Urbina, Daniel|||0000-0002-3132-6789
Format: article
Publication Date:2023
Country:España
Institution:Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
Repository:Dipòsit Digital de Documents de la UAB
Language:English
OAI Identifier:oai:ddd.uab.cat:321394
Online Access:https://ddd.uab.cat/record/321394
https://dx.doi.org/urn:doi:10.1080/24741604.2021.1974761
Access Level:Open access
Keyword:Drama
Juan Antonio Bardem
Muerte de un ciclista
La mujer sin cabeza
Lucrecia Martel
Spanish Cinema
Argentine Cinema
Class
Victimhood
Description
Summary:This article provides a comparative analysis of Muerte de un ciclista (dir. Juan Antonio Bardem, 1955) and La mujer sin cabeza (dir. Lucrecia Martel, 2008). It argues that both films use the hit-and-run motif to address class difference, but also to reflect on key historical events such as the Spanish Civil War and the desaparecidos during the last military dictatorship in Argentina. The article analyses how both films adopt and rework conventions of melodrama to produce a critique of the bourgeoisie from within. Finally, it contends that each film negotiates differently its affiliation to the melodramatic mode.