Los Olvidados (1950)

by guest writer

Los Olvidados (1950) represents yet another masterpiece of the Mexican period signed by Luis Buñuel. A film that was about to break boundaries again due to its realistic and harsh presentation, The Young And The Damned uses elements of Neo-Realism and strong surrealist images meant to express the fears of the main characters. Studying most precisely the social impact of children that come from doubtful families, the movie was strongly criticized as it doesn’t seem to provide any constructive solutions.

Filmed in the Mexican suburbs, the story has as main theme the condemned destinies of two boys, Pedro and Jaibo. The “lost souls” are represented by other characters too: the old beggar Carmelo, the little orphan Ojitos brought into slavery by Carmelo, the young nymph Meche, the virtuous Julián and Pedro’s mother. Full of provocative scenes, the movie strikes through its deep characterization of the human being. Los Olvidados‘ message seems to tell the viewer that beyond the surface of the scourged there is evil that comes from within and that the sense of general equilibrium hangs by a thread.