Les Bicyclettes de Belsize (1968) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

The man loses control of his bike while looking back to check if Kate, the little girl who has been following him, is still behind him. When he glances back, he fails to see the large advertising hoarding directly in his path and crashes through it.

Foreshadowing: Earlier, the man repeatedly checks behind him to see if Kate is still following, establishing his distracted state.

• bike crash
• advertising hoarding
• kate following
• distracted cycling

Kate is a young girl with pigtails, glasses, and braces who first meets the man when he crashes into her bike, knocking him unconscious. She introduces herself and becomes infatuated with him, chasing after him throughout the film as he rides through the suburbs.

Foreshadowing: The opening crash scene establishes Kate's immediate attraction when she looms over the unconscious man, clearly besotted.

• kate
• judy huxtable
• little girl
• crush
• following

After crashing through the hoarding, the man discovers a large advertising poster featuring Julie as a model on a Raleigh bicycle. Struck by her beauty, he becomes transfixed and sings a love ballad directly to her image, treating the poster as if she were present.

Foreshadowing: The film's whimsical tone establishes this as a fantasy narrative where the protagonist's romantic ideals take precedence over reality.

• julie poster
• love ballad
• model
• advertising poster
• raleigh bicycle

The man works at a printer's. He receives a photographic portrait of Julie in the mail, which arrives at his workplace. Meanwhile, Julie is attending a fashionable party in the same building. When she leaves and crosses the street, she sees her own photo displayed in the printer's window, leading to their first real encounter.

Foreshadowing: The poster discovery and the portrait's arrival create the chain of events that brings them together.

• julie
• printer shop
• portrait
• party
• finding julie

After sharing a kiss through the printer's window with the man, Julie is whisked away in a limousine before they can meet in person. She is taken to a fashion shoot on Parliament Hill and Hampstead Heath, where she poses in various outfits while appearing unhappy and distracted, longing to be with the man she just met.

Foreshadowing: The kiss through the glass represents their connection but also highlights the distance between their worlds, hers being glamorous and scheduled, his being simple and spontaneous.

• fashion shoot
• limousine
• parliament hill
• hampstead heath
• julie leaving

Julie walks out of the party, crosses the street, and notices her own photographic portrait displayed in the printer's window. The man inside recognizes her, and they share a shy but growing confident kiss through the glass pane, marking their first direct romantic connection.

Foreshadowing: The portrait arriving at the printer's earlier sets up this moment of recognition.

• kiss through glass
• printer window
• photo recognition
• first meeting

From a hillside overlooking the park, Kate watches the man and Julie walk off together hand in hand after reuniting. Her wistful, puzzled expression reflects her own unrequited attachment to the man she has been chasing throughout the film.

Foreshadowing: Kate's persistent following and romantic gestures toward the man throughout establish her feelings for him.

• kate sad
• unrequited love
• jealousy
• watching couple

After the man finds Julie at the fashion shoot on Hampstead Heath and they share another love song, they walk off together hand in hand into the park. The film ends with them riding away together on Julie's bicycle, suggesting they are beginning a relationship despite coming from different worlds.

Foreshadowing: The man's persistent search through the park demonstrates his determination to find her.

• ending
• bike ride
• together
• hand in hand
• julie and man

As the man passes a bus stop queue, Kate blows a raspberry at the waiting passengers as she rides past. This playful, mischievous act triggers a small dispute among the crowd, which escalates into a chaotic food fight, adding to the film's whimsical, comic tone.

Foreshadowing: The raspberry establishes Kate's rebellious, attention-seeking personality.

• raspberry
• bus stop
• food fight
• kate mischief

The title 'Les Bicyclettes de Belsize' refers to Belsize Park in northwest London, but the film actually takes place in Hampstead and surrounding areas. The title appears to be more of a romantic or artistic reference rather than a geographic one, perhaps evoking a certain neighborhood charm or simply sounding lyrical.

• belsize park
• title
• hampstead
• location
• london

Julie is attending a fashionable party in a building that also houses the man's workplace, a printer's shop. This proximity is coincidental in the narrative, allowing their worlds to collide. The portrait of Julie that arrives at the printer's appears to be related to the fashion industry event she is attending.

• same building
• printer shop
• party
• coincidence
• julie world