Los Olvidados (1950)
Director: Luis Buñuel
Starring: Alfonso Mejía, Stella Inda, Miguel Inclán, Roberto Cobo
A retort to all the films about dirty-faced boys of the
crime ridden streets that find a fatherly figure and miraculously discover the
path of the straight and true we are delivered a motion picture that highlights
the endless cycle of poverty and crime. In this tale society keeps youths from
finding their way out of a destructive cycle in the Mexican feature Los
Olvidados. For a film that was an immediate failure for its Spanish born
director in his new homeland, it found international renown and an eventual
status as a masterpiece of Latin cinema. With a touch of European style, the
picture was a sad reminder of society and poverty.
Los Olvidados (which translates to “The Forgotten
Ones”), or The Young and the Damned as it was known in the U.S., is a
Mexican dramatic picture about the troubles lives of impoverished boys in
Mexico City. An exhibition of the terrible cycle of suffering and despair within
poverty, the film tells the story about a gang of boys that terrorize an
impoverished neighborhood. Led by Jaibo (Roberto Cobo), the eldest and largest
of the bunch who recently escaped from juvenile detention camp, the gang steal
where they can, even beating a blind beggar (Miguel Inclán) for what he has. A
younger boy Pedro (Alfonso Mejía) becomes our focus as his life is further
brought down by Jaibo’s destructive nature. Pedro finds momentary hopes of
making better of himself in life, but is continually threatened by Jaibo. It
first begins with Pedro witnessing Jaibo murder a rival boy followed by Jaibo
stealing from those around Pedro with the younger boy receiving the blame and
punishment. Jaibo continues to haunt Pedro even as he serves in a juvenile camp
ultimately leading to a confrontation between the two as Padro attempts to out
the older boy leading to Jaibo killing Pedro. Shortly after Jaibo meets his
demise by the police concluding this tale of how the spiral to devastation
destroys these desperate youths who can never find a way out of the slums.
A far cry from the common morals of Mexican ideals and the
execution of Mexican cinema Luis Buñuel delivers a
motion picture that feels more European in nature as it shares of a story of
destructive natures and hopelessness in the face of society’s ills. A film
whose subject matter and views Mexican audiences were not keen on viewing when
they went to the theater in a less than extravagant manner, the picture is more
of an art piece and an essay on the suffering of those that go unnoticed. Gritty
and filmed in black and white in the dusty slums of Mexico, the feature
captures the unfortunate truths of poverty, its communities of desperation, and
how it leads to continual destruction. Featuring long running names of Mexican cinema
performers such as Stella Inda, Miguel Inclán, Roberto Cobo, and Alma Della
Fuentes, Los Olvidados is movie that featured some of the best talent at
the time.
Spanish born surrealist director Luis Buñuel spent many
years studying and practicing his craft from Europe, to Hollywood before
settling in his new adoptive homeland of Mexico. Following the success of his
recent picture El Gran Calavera (1949) he was allowed to find his next
project wishing to make a story on a subject he found great drama in, the
overlook impoverished. A news story of a dead body mof a small boy found in a
garbage dump inspired him to develop a story of how a young boy was led to this
mysterious death. Thus was the genesis of Los Olvidados.
From production the film was controversial. His hired
screenwriters disliked how the story perceived Mexican culture. One writer
would demand his name removed from the script. Actors had difficulty performing
their parts to the director’s likeness as they had problems with the story.
Crewmembers on the 18-day shoot disagreed with Buñuel’s focus. Even his wife
stopped talking to him during the project. Appalled by how unforgiving the
characters were in the movie, most notably Pedro’s mother played by Stella
Inda, in deeply Christian nation with love and forgiveness at its heart Buñuel
found opposition throughout his creative process.
Filmed in the dusty streets with number of locals as extras
or small character roles Buñuel’s European style of filmmaking evokes the
neorealism found in Italian or French cinema, despite his continual denial as
he perceived it. The picture contains plenty of his surrealistic nature,
complete with a slow motion dream sequence and bothersome brutality towards
animals. Perhaps the most unique shot of the film comes in the form of the Pedro
character breaking down the fourth walls by looking into camera as he hurls an
egg towards the lens where it shatters and oozes down the frame. The film was
unlike movies in Mexico of the era.
Los Olvidados premiered Mexico on December 9th
and immediately it disgusted audiences and critics who saw the film as a slight
against Mexico and its morals. Disagreeing with nearly everything the movie
expressed as an afront towards Mexico the film was closed down only three days
after opening with reviews burring Buñuel. Some called for Buñuel’s Mexican citizenship
to be revoked for his disregard for Mexico’s sensibilities. Producers demanded
a new happier ending be produced and a new opening with a narration over images
of New York, London, and Paris, stating this could happen in any large city to
further separate this story from being purely a Mexican issue.
Through surprising efforts Los Olvidados was chosen
to represent Mexico in the 1951 Cannes Film Festival where it shined in the
light if international critics for its artistry and storytelling. Unshackled by
the eyes of local viewers the feature was praised heavily, embraced by audiences
and critics of Europe’s cinematic elite. Buñuel was awarded the Best Director
prize at the festival. With all the newly brought upon praise Los Olvidados
reopened in Mexico to a renew appreciation allowing the picture to flourish
back in its home nation. Since then, the film grew in stature as a masterpiece
of Buñuel and Latin American cinema, today being considered one of the great movies
of all time. The new opening that was commissioned would be attached to the
film we view nowadays, but the happy ending with Pedro defeating Jaibo was never
edited in, only to be a discovery in film archives in 2002, serving as a
footnote to battles between producers and filmmakers as they differ in
artistry.
Los Olvidados remains a masterpiece work of Luis Buñuel’s works as he finished out his career in Mexico while still babbling with work in Europe from time to time. This gritty movie about a gang of poor boys that illustrate the horrible destructive cycle of poverty can still speak to audiences of today as it remains a social issue, allowing the picture to impact those that discover it.
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