This year’s AFOFF selection of the stellar 1949 Argentine noir Apenas un Delincuente was inspired by Allan’s ‘The Fish Obscuro’ column, although the film isn’t as much in the shadows now as it was before 2022. That is because Apenas un Delincuente / Hardly a Criminal (1949) was part of a 2022 Hugo Fregonese retrospective that premiered at Il Cinema Ritrovato in Bologna and then later that year at MoMA. In addition, Apenas un Delincuente inspired Rodrigo Moreno’s 2023 thoughtful film The Delinquents. In fact, both Apenas un Delincuente and The Delinquents share the same core story of a bank fraud but both films diverge in different directions.
The bank fraud in Apenas un Delincuente was inspired by a real-life incident and is one of those stories that emphasizes that reality is stranger than fiction. In the film, José Moran (Jorge Salcedo) is a bank employee who fancies the rich nightlife and his day job is only a means for him to pay off his nightlife which also includes a gambling habit. José has run up a huge debt due to gambling losses and subsequent borrowed sums from loan sharks. His salary can’t cover off his debts and he is constantly trying to avoid the loan sharks who are looking to collect their payment. One day, the loan sharks arrive at the bank and demand their money. With no place to run, José gives them another customer’s deposit. Seeing how easy it was for him to use someone else’s money, José starts drawing up a plan to steal even more money from the bank. His ideas are strengthened when he learns that the maximum jail sentence for bank fraud is six years regardless of the amount stolen. José calculates that he can steal enough money, hide his loot, serve 6 years in jail, come out and comfortably live the rest of his life. His rationale is that this one time fraud followed by 6 years of jail time will yield him more money than working an entire life at the bank. José thinks his plan is perfect but like all film noirs, there are elements that José doesn’t factor in such as his family’s vulnerability or street smart gangsters. These unseen factors turn his plans upside down, leading to a pulsating action-packed finale.
Hugo Fregonese packs in a lot in just under 90 minutes. The first half of the film not only sets up the plan and execution but also gives enough of a family backstory which helps explain José’s decisions. The second half depicts fascinating prison power dynamics before the film incorporates car chases and a good old fashioned shoot-out. I hadn’t seen any of Hugo Fregonese’s films prior to Hardly a Criminal. The impressive execution of the film means that this was a huge cinematic blindspot on my end. In reality, Fregonese wasn’t that much in the shadows if I had only looked in the right spots. He was a global film director who started his career in his native Argentina in 1940s before moving to direct films in Hollywood in 1950s such as Apache Drums (1951), Man in the Attic (1953), Black Tuesday (1954). He then moved around Europe to direct a string of films (The Beasts of Marseilles, The Death Ray of Dr. Mabuse) before returning to Argentina. If others haven’t seen a film by him, then Hardly a Criminal is a great starting point.
The Delinquents is streaming on mubi: https://mubi.com/en/ca/films/los-delincuentes
Sachin, I have seen THE DELINQUENTS—which I rate highly—but despite my efforts last night to watch the film you reviewed here, I wasn’t quite able to pull it off. Nonetheless, your plot summary was riveting and a new variation in the bank fraud genre. I have never encountered such a wild scheme where the protagonist steals enough money to ensure his financial comfort for the rest of his life after spending six years in prison! Ha! The promised hair-raising consequences have convinced me to watch the film this week at the precious site -moderated by Jon Whitehead – that Allan and I used frequently over the years. In fact, Jon reached out to me last week to ask about a film Allan reviewed and downloaded to CAVES. Though I deeply appreciate your annual commitment and boundless enthusiasm for this project, I can never say enough about your determination to adhere to the strictest terms of the endeavor that Jamielaid out upon the festival’s inception. One was instructed to find a film or television show discovered online, but never made available to the masses. Of course, we’ve gone much more liberal now, but it is wonderful that we have some measure of adherence to the original specifications. Your writing here, as always, is first-rate! Also, it is great to hear you chronicle the director’s brief but memorable Hollywood films!
Thanks a lot for your kind words Sam. Yes, I am still trying to hold on to the original specifications. Still plenty of rarely seen films out there that makes it possible to continue this way 🙂
Like Sam, I’ve seen The Delinquents, and love seeing you briefly mention he did Apache Drums! To me, that’s the greatest Val Lewton film we never talk about, his last wonderful production (that plays as scary as many of his Horrors!). Anyways, a great unearthing here (humorous it’s about bank fraud, while Marilyn’s piece today is about robbing ’em!) that I’ll be sure to work into my watchlist.
Thanks Jamie. I mentioned Apache Drums as I was sure others would have seen that. I still haven’t and when Val Lewton was involved, I couldn’t believe that I had missed that as well.
I’ve been exposed to noir from South America through the good auspices of the Film Noir Foundation, but this director and film have not been on my radar. I really appreciate your review and the recommendation. It’s officially on the list!
Thanks Marilyn. Glad to hear that you haven’t seen this film. I thought I may have missed the boat by selecting it for this year as I figured others may have heard of it given Moreno’s film but nice to see that isn’t the case 🙂
Mr. Gandhi, you had me hanging on every word. The way you paint the film, there seems to be some unintentional (or intentional?) comedic elements. Great to see such a mise en scene play out in an international setting, where such a scheme could actually work. Excellent writing!
Thanks a lot Peter. Great point about the comedic aspect. I actually found many scenarios funny given the way Moran behaves. He bumbles his way through many things. Even with the 2023 Argentine film, Moreno has filmed in a way that some scenarios are comedic.
I haven’t seen this film. Thank you for this wonderful review. It’s sparked me to seek out and see this movie!
Thanks Dennis. Hope you enjoy it.
Thanks Sachin, I enjoyed The Delinquents, it was intriguing to see this original inspiration for it and understand the decisions and departures from it the modern film made. That site is a treasure trove !