Los Golfos
(The Delinquents)
Radiance Films
Original Release Date May, 1960
Written by Mario Camus, Carlos Saura, Daniel Sueiro
Directed by Carlos Saura
Starring Manuel Zarzo, Luis Marín, Óscar Cruz, Juanjo Losada, Ramón Rubio, Rafael Vargas
Language Spanish (English subtitles available)
Get your copy from MVD Entertainment HERE
by "Doc" Hunter Bush, MovieJawn Podcast Director and Staff Writer
The Movie Itself: Good
Los Golfos (The Delinquents) is a solidly made film, and just in a general way, as a supporter of the cause of film preservation, I'm glad it has been restored and made available, but as sometimes happens with older films, the conditions of its creation is almost more important than the film itself. The story of Los Golfos is as fascinating and inspiring as the story in Los Golfos.
Made in Spain during the regime of Francisco Franco (which began in 1939 and continued until his death in '75), Los Golfos' creation was viewed as a dissident act, not only for portraying life under a fascist dictator as anything other than a paradise, but also for what was shown. Once completed, the censorship board required that four cuts be made before the film was allowed to premier at Cannes. Director / co-writer Carlos Saura refused and, as punishment, after returning from Cannes, the censorship board number of demanded cuts had risen to ten before they would allow it to be shown in Spain. A further cut was made before before it could be shown on television there as well.
So what was so inflammatory? Los Golfos follows a group (debatably, they could be considered a 'gang') of young people living in a poverty that the government ignored both publicly and privately. The film opens with, I believe (*), Rámon (Luis Marín) robbing a blind woman's newsstand and running off with whatever money he managed to grab. Being shown that these young men may not be good people gives way to seeing how they live otherwise. Some can occasionally find work, but not all of them, and when push comes to shove, they will resort to some unsavory acts. But there is one bright spot of hope for them: Juan (Óscar Cruz) who dreams of becoming a bullfighter, one of the only ways to escape their situation. If Juan can get a sanctioned bullfight, and become a local personality, he'll be able to travel, and bring all of his friends along with him.
(*) I'll be honest, I had a tough time figuring out who was who in this rather large group of guys. Characters wouldn't always be addressed by name in scenes where they appeared, so I was constantly taking notes on their actions & characteristics and trying to pair them to names that cropped up later. There's Rámon and Juan, but also Manolo, Julian, Paco, and Antonio. There's also a Chato which means "flat-nose", but I wasn't sure if that was a nickname applied to a perviously-named character, or a permanent nickname for one person, like having a friend everyone calls "Slim". Of course, there's also Visi, the lone female semi-regular member of the group, but she was a little easier to keep mental tabs on as the only gal.
It turns out it isn't exactly complicated to get a bullfight organized: you just need to pay a lot of money (20,000 pesetas, which was the currency in Spain until 2002) to a guy to get the permits and secure the bull, then you have to get out there a distribute flyers and spread the word. Of course, to get this money the fellas (and Visi) lie, cheat, and steal which inevitably leads to bigger and bigger trouble.
The Packaging: Excellent
I love the look of Radiance Films releases. They use a slightly more heavy-duty clear snapcase than your average Blu-ray, which is always nice, and the reversible cover is fantastic. On one side is a pair of black-and-white images from the film: the front shows five of the boys walking together with a bridge in the background, out of focus, while the back in a mirror image of that, with the focus instead on the bridge rather than the boys. After watching the film, it became obvious that what I initially thought was an interesting stylistic choice is actually a commentary on Los Golfos being as much a story about the place (and time) as it is about the characters.
The reverse features a vintage-looking illustrated image of three of the young men deep in conversation, depicted against a red background in stark black lines with pale yellow highlights. It's very striking.
There's also a handsome booklet with an essay from Dr. Mar Diestro-Dópido offering even more insight on Carlos Saura's career during and around the making of Los Golfos, reproductions of reports on the script for the film, and an essay from Javier Rellán and Patricia Uceda on the film's restoration process.
The Video: Excellent
I loved the look of Los Golfos. Direction aside, the black-and-white cinematography is gorgeous and the restoration really does justice to it. I was very aware at all times of the textures of everything: corduroy pants, scarred walls, faded wooden doors, painted bricks, frayed denim, the chrome accents on the hood of a truck; all of them were just so incredibly tangible and tactile.
There's some grain present, but it feels natural and doesn't detract at all. The night scenes have more visual noise, but there was a disclaimer at the beginning that made it sound like this film had seen some rough times, which, combined with lower light level issues in general, makes any distraction feel if nothing else, well-earned.
I would be remiss if I did not mention Carlos Saura's direction, which honestly cannot be ignored. Saura was a photographer before moving on to directing film, which gives him an incredibly strong sense of visual composition. The shot choices in Los Golfos are then incredibly beautiful and impactful and convey a lot of emotion.
The Audio: Good
I didn't truthfully have any great problems with this release, but if you're a serious audiophile, the at times very obvious ADR might bother you, I guess. For those unaware, ADR (automatic dialogue replacement) is when lines of dialogue are recorded later and placed into scenes, usually because the dialogue recorded during shooting, if there even was any, isn't of a clear enough quality. While the ADR in Los Golfos can be glaring here and there, I must have gotten used to it because I forgot all about it pretty quickly.
Otherwise, the audio mix was lovely. There's a lot of casual Spanish guitar that plays throughout a lot of the film, especially early on, that just sort of meanders along in the background without ever really drawing much attention to itself. There's a few scenes in crowded bars or dancehalls that made good use of my three-channel soundbar to make the rooms they were in sound realistically large and inhabited. I didn't encounter any volume or clarity issues at all.
The Supplements: Excellent
I always say that what I personally look for in supplemental / bonus material is context, and the features on Radiance's Los Golfos release are a treasure trove of context. Two in-depth interviews, both original to this release, provided a great deal of backstory (much of which I've briefly touched upon above), and there is a whole feature showcasing the cuts demanded by the censorship board. If you're someone who also just loves freebies, there are two of Carlos Saura's short films included as well.
- Interview with author Esteve Riambau (22:17)
- Interview with curator Ehsan KhoshBakht (17:11)
- Censored scenes (12:57)
- La Llamada (The Call) (1955) (7:04)
- La Tarde Del Domingo (Sunday Afternoon) (1957) (33:42)
Final Thoughts: Snag it at a Yard Sale
Los Golfos is a fun watch at times, even if the characters are being forced into less than admirable acts, but you'll never shake the feeling that capital 'T' Trouble is out there, waiting for them. You're right of course, and when it finds them, it's bad and only gets worse. The performances feel very grounded and the societal tensions are all too real. This could easily be compared to any more recent examination of troubled young manhood (even something like Saturday Night Fever mirrors aspects found here) or gritty, street-level crime drama (the story here could easily sustain one season of an award-winning HBO drama) even without any understanding of the era's politics.
One last caveat I'll offer to potential disc-purchasers is that the film ends with footage of an actual bullfight, up to and including the death of the poor animal. Bullfighting is an important part of Spain's cultural identity, and I mean no disrespect in any way when I say I would rather not have to see that myself. The disc begins with a disclaimer about the restoration. I just wish I would have gotten a heads-up about the actual on-screen animal death.
Again, no judgment. I respect this aspect of Spain's culture and know that it wouldn't be done this way now, and additionally, I respect the statement that this death makes; the pall it casts over the events we've just watched. But it did ruin my night. All I'm saying is: while Los Golfos is a tremendously engaging and evocative film, and one that deserves to be seen and understood, be prepared for that finale.
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