Luis Bunuel’s “neglected masterpiece” as one reviewer called it, “La Joven” or “The Young One” (1960) directed by the master and starring Zachary Scott, Bernie Hamilton, Key Meersman, Crahan Denton & Claudio Brook among others.

Key Meersman (Ewelyn) is a teenager living in a private game reserve with her grandparent and one Miller (Zachary Scott). This Miller is a wild guy not given to following orders. The grandfather dies in the beginning of the movie and the girl is alone with Miller in the island.

Traver (Bernie Hamilton) is running away from the police having been accused of raping a white woman. Traver is a black musician playing the clarinet. Jackson (Crahan Denton) comes once in a week with the supplies needed for the island.

Meanwhile Miller rapes the teenager and in his next visit Jackson brings along a reverend (Claudio Brook) with an original intent to baptise the teenager, but he comes to know of other facts and also finds out the innocence of the black musician.

Luis Bunuel simultaneously gets two strands working together — that of a black musician wrongly accused of a rape and a white man defending his rape on the ground that he is alone in this wretched island. He lets both the stories flow beautifully.

Its Bunuel’s last ever movie shot in English language, and though i feel he is more comfortable in Spanish, he manages to leave his imprint on this movie as well. IMDB 6/10