The Cyclist main backdrop
The Cyclist main poster

The Cyclist

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6.6/10 • 29

1989-02-011h 19m

Drama

The wife of Nasim, an Afghan immigrant in Iran, is gravely ill. He needs money to pay for her care, but his day labor digging wells does not pay enough. A friend connects Nasim to a two-bit promoter who sells tickets to watch Nasim ride a bicycle continuously for a week. The promoter brings in sick and aged spectators, haranguing them to find hope in Nasim's strength. Aided by his son, who feeds him as he rides, Nasim grinds out the days and shivering nights. Local officials believe this may be a plot and Nasim may be a spy; they try to sabotage him as do those who bet he won't finish the week. Will desperation alone get Nasim the money? Is any triumph an illusion?

Directors
Mohsen Makhmalbaf
Writters
Mohsen Makhmalbaf
Editors
Mohsen Makhmalbaf, Mohsen Makhmalbaf

Top Billed Cast

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  1. Mahshid Afsharzadeh

    Mahshid Afsharzadeh

    Gypsy Woman

  2. Firouz Kiani

    Firouz Kiani

    Motorcyclist

  3. Samira Makhmalbaf

    Samira Makhmalbaf

  4. Mohammadreza Maleki

    Mohammadreza Maleki

    Jomeh

  5. Esmail Soltanian

    Esmail Soltanian

    Showman

  6. Moharram Zaynalzadeh

    Moharram Zaynalzadeh

    Nasim

Reviews1

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CRCulver Avatar

CRCulver

Sep 8, 2018

7/10

In the aftermath of the Soviet invasion and civil war, hundreds of thousands of Afghans fled across the border with Iran. There they struggled to survive, offering themselves as day labourers at exploitative wages, harassed by officials and just ignored by the bulk of Iranian society. Mohsen Makhmalbaf's 1987 film The Cyclist is an allegory for the Afghan refugee experience, Nasim (Moharram Zaynalzadeh) must pay the hospital stay of his ailing wife and bring up his son Jomeh (Mohammad Reza Maleki), but even backbreaking labour as a well-digger doesn't pay the bills. When a local business learns that Nasim once rode a bicycle for three nonstop, he offers the desperate man the chance to save his family: ride a bicycle for a week in a makeshift circus ring. Makhmalbaf communicates Nasim's lack of humanity by giving him very few lines. Most of the film consists of arguments among the gamblers and local politicians who stand to profit or lose from Nasim's act, as in the background he circles around and around and around. This film would already be heartrending if it were a straight-up tale, but Makhmalbaf makes it even more poignant with a light dusting of magic realism. Though less elegant than some of his later films like Nun va guldoon (released internationally as A Moment of Innocence), this is a memorable film and it's easy to see how it established Makhmalbaf's reputation internationally. Iranian cinema holds many delights, and this is one of its triumphs.

Media

  • The Cyclist poster
  • The Cyclist poster
  • The Cyclist poster
  • The Cyclist poster

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Status
Released
Original Language
Persian
Budget
--
Revenue
--
Keywords
immigrantafghanistanmotorcycle