"The Battle of Algiers"

Rating: 7/10 (13 June 2011)

Luis Bunuel's "Los Olvidados" is the perfect portrayal of how redeeming souls can slip through the cracks of a bankrupt society and neglectful parents. Pedro wanders the streets of his desolate village, making friends with local thugs and is openly abandoned by his mother who conceived him out of a rape. Bunuel effectively creates a character that has no redeeming qualities until he lands in the hands of a caring principal who runs a rehabilitation center. Near the pinnacle of "The Forgotten Ones," Pedro finds himself on a path to possible self-actualization. While in the confines of "the farm," Pedro fosters goodness that lives within. He's sent on an errand for the caring principal outside the confines of the rehabilitation center, and it is at this point that Bunuel sends the strongest message: we are victims of our society  at least some of us are; others simply stand by and witness the raping of salvation, which is one of the more poignant scenes. Bunuel breaks the fourth wall and flips the camera onto the viewer, forcing the question "How many redeeming souls have you seen fall prey to world around you?"