Los Olvidados
English title: The Young and the Damned
Genre: youth drama (in black and white)
With: Alfonso Mejía (Pedro,
a basically good kid), Roberto Cobo (El Jaibo), Estela Inda (Pedro’s mother), Miguel Inclán (Don
Carmelo, the blind musician), Mario Ramírez (the abandoned Ojitos, a.k.a. ‟Small
Eyes”), Alma Delia Fuentes (Meche the spunky girl), Javier Amézcua (Julián), Francisco Jambrina (Director of the school
farm), Jesús García (Julián’s father)
Director: Luis
Buñuel
Screenplay: Luis
Alcoriza. Luis Buñuel and Max Aub, with help from Juan Larrea and Pedro de
Urdimalas
Release: 1950
Studio: Ultramar Films, S.A.
Rating: -
MBiS score: 8.8/10
‟I've told you not to come back if you hang [around] with these punks.”
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Story-line: in
the slums of Mexico City, youngsters have nothing to do but play frivolous
games and become delinquents under the influence of their elders, especially Jaibo,
who has just escaped from a reformatory. As the kids await his glorious return
to the neighbourhood, they know he will have big plans for them… plans that
will bring pesos to everyone, including Pedro, our protagonist.
Pluses: wonderful
acting all around, consistently great helming by a celebrated filmmaker (winner
of the Best Director award in Cannes for this masterpiece), a potent, logical
and implacable screenplay based on real events and invigorated by well-drawn
characters and several classic scenes, irreproachable cinematography and
editing, appropriate production values, a moody, almost dizzying musical score
and a devastating ending.
Minuses:
none whatsoever.
MBiS
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