Let me preface this review by saying that i'm a huge fan of this director... Some of my very favorite films of all time are Bunuel films.
I will also say that I found the content of this film to be overly provocative to the point where I was offended. I think this was intentional, but it rubbed me the wrong way in this case, and it effected my perception of the movie.
In "The Young One" it seems like Bunuel was taking a crack at the "Rednecksploitation" genre. The film is lower budget than usual for Bunuel. Most of the acting is sub-par and the story is utterly trashy. It lacks the subtlety I expect from this director and it almost reminded my of some of Russ Meyer's early movies.. "Lorna" comes to mind. The feel is not exactly the same, but it's comparable except that "Lorna" is more entertaining and much less pretentious.
I think the subject matter is the problem here. This is a movie about dirt poor people. Nearly all Bunuels films are full of mockery and satire, but his films are more entertaining when he's poking fun at the rich or at least championing the underdogs on some level. In this case he turns his sarcastic eyes towards a bunch of pathetic and ignorant characters and somehow, the satire rings hollow. The mocking tone shouldn't even be present, but it is and it grates on you.
I give the movie a 6 because it was interesting and watchable. But it left a bad taste in my mouth. Also, the production values and script just don't match up to your expectations when going into a Bunuel movie. The dialog is bad and the acting is worse. If you want to see a good English Language Bunuel film, Watch "Robinson Crusoe". It's infinitely better than this one. Bunuel fans should probably see "The Young One" just to get a look at one of his more drastic departures.
I will also say that I found the content of this film to be overly provocative to the point where I was offended. I think this was intentional, but it rubbed me the wrong way in this case, and it effected my perception of the movie.
In "The Young One" it seems like Bunuel was taking a crack at the "Rednecksploitation" genre. The film is lower budget than usual for Bunuel. Most of the acting is sub-par and the story is utterly trashy. It lacks the subtlety I expect from this director and it almost reminded my of some of Russ Meyer's early movies.. "Lorna" comes to mind. The feel is not exactly the same, but it's comparable except that "Lorna" is more entertaining and much less pretentious.
I think the subject matter is the problem here. This is a movie about dirt poor people. Nearly all Bunuels films are full of mockery and satire, but his films are more entertaining when he's poking fun at the rich or at least championing the underdogs on some level. In this case he turns his sarcastic eyes towards a bunch of pathetic and ignorant characters and somehow, the satire rings hollow. The mocking tone shouldn't even be present, but it is and it grates on you.
I give the movie a 6 because it was interesting and watchable. But it left a bad taste in my mouth. Also, the production values and script just don't match up to your expectations when going into a Bunuel movie. The dialog is bad and the acting is worse. If you want to see a good English Language Bunuel film, Watch "Robinson Crusoe". It's infinitely better than this one. Bunuel fans should probably see "The Young One" just to get a look at one of his more drastic departures.