The Young and the Damned (1950)

Good concept, poorly executed.

everything you have heard about this movie is true.

At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

A film with more than the usual spoiler issues. Talking about it in any detail feels akin to handing you a gift-wrapped present and saying, "I hope you like it -- It's a thriller about a diabolical secret experiment."

In this Mexican movie, Buñuel brings a great depiction of the lost youth, with no projects, committing crimes, practicing violence. Other films did the same afterwards, in my opinion with better outcomes, like Truffaut's "Les quatre cents coups" one decade afterwards, and Argentine "Pizza, birra, faso" half century later. Buñuel's concern about details which are not relevant for the story makes the film richer, and other elements important for Mexican society in those times also appear, such as sexism. Though, the movie gets a little bit tiring and the sudden end was very unsatisfactory. Not all characters behave in a way coherent to the traits shown in their development throughout the movie, particularly in the last moments.

I like how Bunuel takes a common problem, injects it with dream like surrealism and give it a whole new meaning. In this film Bunuel addresses the problem of children living in poverty with poor or no family ties. We see through the children's eyes, what it's like to live on the streets in big City. Without proper role models, the children turn to El Jaibo who has just escaped from reform school. One of my favorite scenes is when Pedro breaks the 4th wall by throwing an egg at the camera. The egg is indeed on our faces.Unfortunately, sixty years later, this film is still relevant to problems children face today.

Luis Bunuel's masterpiece Los Olvidados is probably one of the most realistic and thought-provoking portrayals of poverty and crime that I have ever seen. The fact that it was not well received in Mexico is indicative of the higher class's refusal to acknowledge those below them. The Surrealist aspects of the film were very captivating, especially the dream sequence. There is a feeling of relentless despair throughout the film; the viewer knows that the children will ultimately live a crime-ridden life of poverty. Bunuel successfully causes his viewers to become attached to his characters, and one can feel nothing but hope for the characters. If you enjoy this film, I would suggest watching Bicycle Thieves.

An unfortunate truth, just as the name states: if you haven't seen this movie in a while, you probably have forgotten the plot. While the film is good, it's not memorable. Los olvidados tells the story of juvenile delinquents in Mexico. Through this film, Luis Bunel depicts the lives of poor kids without fathers, an inconvenient truth for those people who would rather live blindly to the fact that poverty exists. The interesting thing, however, is the fact that Bunel's film was not well liked, but when it won awards, he was lauded. On another note, Freud would have definitely gotten his kicks from this film. Lots to analyze. Overall:great story, great film! Must watch!