User reviews

This movie is a pitiless testimony of life in the slums of a Latin American city. And how Ramon Antonio Brizuela (Orlando Zarramera) new from his early years experiences to survive in the streets of a city, in kids correctional, and later in jails. There he learned to beat, rape, steal and even to...kill. His self defense was his own violence. Clemente de la Cerda (Director- Died in 1984) achieve a goal showing us this bizarre world with all the cruelty, anger, passion and desperation. This movie received the "Special award of the Jury" in Locarno, and "Premio Nacional del D.F." both in 1977. Mostly all the characters were made by non-professional actors and this give extraordinary realism to each scene. Zarramera made an unforgettable character (Brizuela), also Maria Escalona, Chelo Rodriguez, Carlos Carrero, Maria Gracia Bianchi among others made a very good job. Sound is not a must but I must say the movie originally was release in VHS. It will be fine if we can find it in DVD.The photography (Jose Jimenez) is extraordinary. This movie last 19 weeks, since the release in July 1976, in the first place in the box office (One million dollars - Exceed three times "Shark" S. Spielberg) in Venezuela. The music of Miguelangel Fuster is great. A very intense movie for those who like action. One year later (l977) was released the second part of "Soy un delincuente".

This excellent piece of cinema shows the cold, hard reality of life in the ghettos of Latin America. It gives you an inside look at the hard life of poor children and how they transform into criminals that only are recycled in a terrible system. A must watch!