Derek Malcolm on Los Olvidados

Esteemed critic Derek Malcolm (The Guardian) offers an insightful look at one of the highlights of Luis Buñuel’s Mexican period to coincide with the recent DVD release of the great Los Olvidados. Vicious teenager El Jaibo has just recently been released from prison and wastes no time rejoining his old gang in the slums of Mexico City with violent aplomb. After a particularly savage attack, his sidekick Pedro deserts him and accepts an apprenticeship with the local blacksmith in a bid to escape the criminal life. Unfortunately for Pedro and his future, El Jaibo has other ideas. Drawing on dominant neo-realist ideologies, such as non-professional actors and natural locations, Buñel harnesses the movement’s eye for poetry within the everyday, imbuing his tale with symbolism and dream sequences. The mesmerising Los Olvidados earned the surrealist master Best Director at the 1951 Cannes Film Festival. Produced by 3DD Productions