When we think of a 1961 movie focusing on clashes between white gangs and Puerto Rican gangs, "West Side Story" is the movie that comes to mind. But there was another movie that year focusing on the same topic. "The Young Savages" looks at the murder of a blind Puerto Rican boy by a white gang, and all the racially charged attitudes that permeate the case.
It was the first of four movies in which John Frankenheimer cast Burt Lancaster (in an assortment of roles, to be certain). While Lancaster's character may be the center of the story, one can feel the tension boiling over from the various characters, as though everything's about to explode.
I don't know if this was the first movie to deal with a hate crime, but it's a good focus on the topic. The setting, photography and music combine to make one rough movie. Definitely see it.
It was the first of four movies in which John Frankenheimer cast Burt Lancaster (in an assortment of roles, to be certain). While Lancaster's character may be the center of the story, one can feel the tension boiling over from the various characters, as though everything's about to explode.
I don't know if this was the first movie to deal with a hate crime, but it's a good focus on the topic. The setting, photography and music combine to make one rough movie. Definitely see it.