The Young One

An English-language film by Bunuel, much better than his Robinson Crusoe. The explorations of innocence and racial issues and corruption were very compelling, and there were a number of Bunuel touches to keep things lively. However, the theme of redemption rang hollow. Not that the movie necessarily needed to end on a dark note, it just could have been handled more convincingly.

Pretty much a straight drama that aims for moral complexity with respect to issues of race and sexuality, at which it more or less succeeds (at least, better than some more famous examples). Coincidentally, Zachary Scott, Crahan Denton and Hugo Butler were all born in 1914 and were all dead by the end of the decade (brain tumour at 51, heart attack at 52 and heart attack at 53, respectively).

I can just imagine an idiotic Gen Zer watching this today and accusing Buñuel of endorsing paedophilia and racism, because 1) they don't understand that including certain content/themes in a film is not necessarily condoning that which is depicted, and 2) they can't appreciate that Buñuel always treats sexuality and racism, even in their most perverse forms, with the utmost seriousness. He faces issues head on, much like Bergman, but with a defter touch and more hope in human salvation.

A Adolescente estreava há 60 anos no Festival de Cannes. Esse filme é bem peculiar na carreira do Buñuel porque ele é extremamente convencional, o tema é espinhoso sobre a hipocrisia branca quanto aos negros nos EUA, mas tem direito a um reverendo sendo a voz da razão e um final feliz, o que a gente sabe que soa muito estranho vindo do Buñuel. DVDRip Classics.

87.50

The treatment of delicate themes such as incest and racial inequality is fresh for the time. Unfortunately, most of Buñuel’s usual touches are, if not absent, a mild mixture of fairly insignificant moments.

A bracing film from Bunuel that tracks strong emotions and desires that bubble just beneath the surface, punctuated with moments of rage or despair or lust that boil over. The film certainly pushes boundaries of the day in its frank portrayal of pedophilia, but it's the racial aspect that remains powerful. Bunuel is able to highlight the power structures that exist between black and white, and ably brings us into both the privilege and the despair that permeate this world.

Star Rating: ★★★★

"Poets have said that eyes are the windows to the soul, but Luis Buñuel believed that our legs and feet revealed more about us than any other parts of our bodies." - Ed Gonzalez