6/10
Jose Antonio De La Loma's first Quinqui movie that expanded several sequels , imitations and rip-offs
30 May 2016
A classic film , first of series , that belongs to the violent as well as realistic Quinqui Subgenre with the usual ingredients : drama , delinquency , exploitation and lots of violence . This middling ¨Quinqui¨ movie deals with Ángel Fernández Franco , alias ¨El Torete¨ (he was born in 1960 and died 1989, by VIH , at age 31) , it tells his life like a legend , executing heists , armed robberies , burglary , breaking , ¨Tirones¨ or purse snatchers , assault women and other crimes and misdemeanours . He is a small-time thief who resides in La Mina slums , Barcelona, living in poverty and where falls in love for Isabel engaged to Mosque , a dangerous gypsy ; the latter informs Police (Víctor Petit , Carlos Lucena) about illegal activities of Torete . And , then , he is imprisoned at a youthful penitentiary run by Padre Ignacio (Xabier Elorriaga) . Torete escapes and he again goes on his criminal career . Later on , he faces off the revengeful ¨El Esquinao¨(Frank Braña), Isabel's (Nadia Windel) uncle who executes a terrible vendetta . After that , Torete seeks vengeance and he will stop at nothing to get it . At the end it takes place a disturbing denouement with fateful consequences .

First part of the ¨Perros Callejeros¨ trilogy by Jose Antonio De La Loma , the authentic creator of the Quinqui sub-genre about juvenile delinquents and ordinarily played by Angel Fernández Franco , one of the most know delinquents of the seventies . ¨Perros Callejeros I¨ was a popular and big Spanish hit , that's why director De La Loma made various sequels enhancing the customary issues that got again a ¨hit smash¨ , such as: noisy action , hold-ups , car races , car theft , stabbing , teen violence , pursuits and nudism . Including some very crude as well as distasteful images as when there take place an attempt rape , when Torete is abducted , mistreated and mutilated and showing brutal , exploitative rape frames . This is one of several movies dealing with youth delinquency in Spain during the 70s and early 80s mostly realized by Jose Antonio De La Loma , along with Eloy De La Iglesia as ¨Navajeros , "Colegas", "El Pico 1¨ , 2" , ¨La Estanquera De Vallecas¨ and especially ¨Deprisa , Deprisa¨ by Carlos Saura , among others ; and all of them concerning about street life of young delinquents living in the lowest and poorest suburbs and including social commentary . These films were notorious in the years of the Spanish transition to democracy including provoking and polemic issues and played by unknown young people . The style is pretty much urban and realistic as well in the atmosphere as in the fresh dialog and attempted to take a position in favor of the outcast people . Drugs , delinquency, and generational problems are the habitual subjects in these films and specially dedicated to the underworld of heroin and a very realistic look at drug addiction . Passing of time hasn't had mercy with most of those movies , but they represented a time and a way of life in the history of Spain ; and now they may seem a little bit naive . The ¨Perros Callejeros's¨ screenplay written by the same Jose Antonio De La Loma is such strong with disagreeable events , extremely violent scenes , though also with some ingenuousness . Jose Antonio De La Loma chose young and natural actors as Angel Fernandez Franco who had a natural talent to play , he performed his part to the hilt , unafraid of filmmaker's unsympathetic camera and the particularity of the character .

Atmospheric musical score including , Rumbas , ordinary disco-music of the 70s , adding usual scenarios and atmospheres of the sixties . Regular photography with juicy atmosphere by Francisco Sanchez , but unfortunately turns too much murky in some video print , being necessary a perfect remastering . Director Juan Antonio De La Loma who hired true delinquents who used their own slang , and giving great realism . De La Loma , had a long career including titles as writer and filmmaker . In his youthful De La Loma worked as a teacher in the Chinese barrio of Barcelona and he lived poorness and isolation . Shot by the creator of ¨Quinqui sub-genre¨ , the veteran and prolific Jose Antonio De La Loma , in his usual botcher style , plenty of extreme sensationalism and exploitation , who filmed the successful trilogy : ¨Perros Callejeros I , II¨ and ¨Ultimos Golpes Del Torete¨ and he even made a female version : ¨Perras Callejeras¨ . Loma directed all kinds of genres as Western : ¨Professional for a massacre¨ ,¨Texas Kid¨ ,¨Clint the solitary¨ , ¨Return of Clint¨, ¨The last Mohican¨, ¨Seven pistols for Timothy¨ , ¨Viva Carrancho¨, ¨The Boldest job in the West¨, and ¨Blood at sundown¨or ¨Porque Seguir Matando¨and Action such as : ¨Metralleta Stein¨ , ¨Razzia¨ , ¨Explosion¨ , Squadron: Counterforce¨or "Playing with Death" , ¨Goma 2¨ , ¨Tony Carrera¨, "Playboy to Kill" and several others .
6 out of 6 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink

Recently Viewed