The Young One
Encyclopedia
La joven is a 1960 film
by the Spanish director Luis Buñuel
. Produced in Mexico
and shot in English
with American actors, La Joven is Buñuel's second and last American film. It deals with issues of racism
and rape
against a complex portrayal of two men, each of whom shows both good and evil. The film was entered into the 1960 Cannes Film Festival
.
It is currently available in both Region 1 and Region 2 DVD editions
after being out of distribution for many years.
called "Travelin' Man", it tells the story of Traver, a black jazz
musician on the run after a white woman has accused him of rape. Such a charge in the South
could lead to his being lynched. After stealing a boat to escape, Traver makes his way to an island inhabited by the bee keeper Miller and Evalyn, the granddaughter of his recently deceased partner.
What follows is a struggle between Traver and Miller over guns, resources and the affections of the young Evalyn, who becomes increasingly fascinated by the clarinet-playing Traver. She is disgusted by Miller's advances toward her each night.
) steals a boat and ends up on an island off the Carolina coast inhabited by Miller (Zachary Scott
), who has owned a bee farm with his recently deceased partner Pee Wee. Pee Wee, a drunk whose liver finally quit, has left behind a teenage granddaughter named Evalyn ("Evvie", played by Key Meersman), whose age is unknown. Miller is cruel to Evvie until one day he pulls back her wild child hair and notices that she is quite beautiful. Miller plans to have the youngster sexually for himself and goes to shore to buy her gifts.
Thinking herself alone, Evvie goes about her routine at the apiary
, but Traver surprises her and begs her for some honey. He gives her a dime in return. Traver winds up getting a meal back at the cabin, but when he wants to leave with a shotgun and some gas for his boat, Evvie protests. The shotgun discharges during their struggle (inside the house). Traver gives her 20 dollars for the trouble and leaves. He reaches his boat but accidentally shoots a hole in it, forcing him to return to the cabin for repair supplies. Despite this, Traver and Evvie develop trust in one another. Traver spends another night on the island fixing his boat. Evvie wakes up in the middle of the night when a raccoon gets into the coop and kills a chicken. When she opens the window, she hears Traver playing on his clarinet
.
Miller returns the next day, but becomes angry when he finds out he's been robbed. He takes a rifle and goes out to find the perpetrator. In the meantime Evvie hides the money by pinning it into her skirt. Traver is at his boat almost ready to leave, but runs away when he sees Miller approaching. Miller comes upon the boat, and shoots enough holes in the hull to sink it. A chase ensues. Traver finds another boat in a river, but Miller sights him as he paddles and fires a shot. Traver splashes into the water, but later emerges unscathed.
Miller returns to the cabin and presents Evvie with a dress and some high heel shoes (here is the film's only Bunuelism, the shoe fetish
). He seems to want to make her into a lady, but warns her away from men. Miller has Evvie sit on his lap, and seems bemused by her innocence. "Don't let anyone hold you like this," he warns her. But as he tries to kiss her, she avoids his lips.
After Miller later finds the 20-dollar bill, he confronts Evvie with it. When Evvie tries to explain it, Miller insinuates that she got the money in return for sexual favors and sends her to bed. Traver bursts in and holds Miller up. He takes Miller's rifle and returns to his boat, which he does not yet realize is sunk.
The next day Miller gives Evvie her money back "for telling the truth." He takes a grenade and goes out looking for Traver, whom he finds busy fixing the boat. They have a heated exchange of insults and racial epithets, but reconcile after learning that they both served in the infantry in WWII. Their shared status as veterans appears to mollify Miller's suspicions and he stops using racial slurs against Traver.
Miller and Evvie leave Traver in peace to finish work on his boat, but he returns to the two cabins to keep an eye on the pair while his boat soaks. Miller offers Traver work on the island in exchange for room and board, and uses Traver's presence as a pretext for Evvie to move into his own quarters. He offers Traver the small cabin she and her grandfather used, and makes her move her bed into his.
For her part, Evvie can't understand why the two men can't be friends. Traver explains why he has the gun: "It's easy for him to kill me. It's hard for me to kill him." By his reckoning, Miller has more power in that dynamic, so Traver holding on to the gun "makes us almost equal." After some coaxing from Evvie, Traver plays his clarinet. That night we see Miller kiss Evvie roughly. The implication is that he forces sex on the underage girl that night.
The following day, the local preacher, Rev. Fleetwood (Claudio Brook
), and another white man named Jackson (Crahan Denton) come to the island to baptize Evvie. The Reverend soon has suspicions about Miller's treatment of Evvie, while Miller finds out about a rape charge against a black clarinet player, whom he concludes is Traver. The two themes of rape and racism intertwine as the tension on the island mounts.
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
by the Spanish director Luis Buñuel
Luis Buñuel
Luis Buñuel Portolés was a Spanish-born filmmaker — later a naturalized citizen of Mexico — who worked in Spain, Mexico, France and the US..-Early years:...
. Produced in Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
and shot in English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
with American actors, La Joven is Buñuel's second and last American film. It deals with issues of racism
Racism
Racism is the belief that inherent different traits in human racial groups justify discrimination. In the modern English language, the term "racism" is used predominantly as a pejorative epithet. It is applied especially to the practice or advocacy of racial discrimination of a pernicious nature...
and rape
Rape
Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse, which is initiated by one or more persons against another person without that person's consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority or with a person who is incapable of valid consent. The...
against a complex portrayal of two men, each of whom shows both good and evil. The film was entered into the 1960 Cannes Film Festival
1960 Cannes Film Festival
-Jury:*Georges Simenon *Marc Allégret *Louis Chauvet *Diego Fabbri *Hidemi Ima *Grigori Kozintsev *Maurice Leroux *Max Lippmann *Henry Miller...
.
It is currently available in both Region 1 and Region 2 DVD editions
DVD region code
DVD region codes are a digital-rights management technique designed to allow film distributors to control aspects of a release, including content, release date, and price, according to the region...
after being out of distribution for many years.
Synopsis
Based on a short story by Peter MatthiessenPeter Matthiessen
Peter Matthiessen is a two-time National Book Award-winning American novelist and non-fiction writer, as well as an environmental activist...
called "Travelin' Man", it tells the story of Traver, a black jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
musician on the run after a white woman has accused him of rape. Such a charge in the South
Southern United States
The Southern United States—commonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South—constitutes a large distinctive area in the southeastern and south-central United States...
could lead to his being lynched. After stealing a boat to escape, Traver makes his way to an island inhabited by the bee keeper Miller and Evalyn, the granddaughter of his recently deceased partner.
What follows is a struggle between Traver and Miller over guns, resources and the affections of the young Evalyn, who becomes increasingly fascinated by the clarinet-playing Traver. She is disgusted by Miller's advances toward her each night.
Plot
While being pursued late at night, Traver (Bernie HamiltonBernie Hamilton
Bernie Hamilton was an American actor.Hamilton was born in East Los Angeles and attended Oakland Technical High School, where he first became interested in acting. In films from 1950, he laboured in bit roles for years before getting noticed in the film One Potato, Two Potato , the story of an...
) steals a boat and ends up on an island off the Carolina coast inhabited by Miller (Zachary Scott
Zachary Scott
Zachary Scott was an American actor, most notable for his roles as villains and "mystery men".-Life and career:...
), who has owned a bee farm with his recently deceased partner Pee Wee. Pee Wee, a drunk whose liver finally quit, has left behind a teenage granddaughter named Evalyn ("Evvie", played by Key Meersman), whose age is unknown. Miller is cruel to Evvie until one day he pulls back her wild child hair and notices that she is quite beautiful. Miller plans to have the youngster sexually for himself and goes to shore to buy her gifts.
Thinking herself alone, Evvie goes about her routine at the apiary
Apiary
An apiary is a place where beehives of honey bees are kept. Traditionally beekeepers paid land rent in honey for the use of small parcels. Some farmers will provide free apiary sites, because they need pollination, and farmers who need many hives often pay for them to be moved to the crops when...
, but Traver surprises her and begs her for some honey. He gives her a dime in return. Traver winds up getting a meal back at the cabin, but when he wants to leave with a shotgun and some gas for his boat, Evvie protests. The shotgun discharges during their struggle (inside the house). Traver gives her 20 dollars for the trouble and leaves. He reaches his boat but accidentally shoots a hole in it, forcing him to return to the cabin for repair supplies. Despite this, Traver and Evvie develop trust in one another. Traver spends another night on the island fixing his boat. Evvie wakes up in the middle of the night when a raccoon gets into the coop and kills a chicken. When she opens the window, she hears Traver playing on his clarinet
Clarinet
The clarinet is a musical instrument of woodwind type. The name derives from adding the suffix -et to the Italian word clarino , as the first clarinets had a strident tone similar to that of a trumpet. The instrument has an approximately cylindrical bore, and uses a single reed...
.
Miller returns the next day, but becomes angry when he finds out he's been robbed. He takes a rifle and goes out to find the perpetrator. In the meantime Evvie hides the money by pinning it into her skirt. Traver is at his boat almost ready to leave, but runs away when he sees Miller approaching. Miller comes upon the boat, and shoots enough holes in the hull to sink it. A chase ensues. Traver finds another boat in a river, but Miller sights him as he paddles and fires a shot. Traver splashes into the water, but later emerges unscathed.
Miller returns to the cabin and presents Evvie with a dress and some high heel shoes (here is the film's only Bunuelism, the shoe fetish
Sexual fetishism
Sexual fetishism, or erotic fetishism, is the sexual arousal a person receives from a physical object, or from a specific situation. The object or situation of interest is called the fetish, the person a fetishist who has a fetish for that object/situation. Sexual fetishism may be regarded, e.g...
). He seems to want to make her into a lady, but warns her away from men. Miller has Evvie sit on his lap, and seems bemused by her innocence. "Don't let anyone hold you like this," he warns her. But as he tries to kiss her, she avoids his lips.
After Miller later finds the 20-dollar bill, he confronts Evvie with it. When Evvie tries to explain it, Miller insinuates that she got the money in return for sexual favors and sends her to bed. Traver bursts in and holds Miller up. He takes Miller's rifle and returns to his boat, which he does not yet realize is sunk.
The next day Miller gives Evvie her money back "for telling the truth." He takes a grenade and goes out looking for Traver, whom he finds busy fixing the boat. They have a heated exchange of insults and racial epithets, but reconcile after learning that they both served in the infantry in WWII. Their shared status as veterans appears to mollify Miller's suspicions and he stops using racial slurs against Traver.
Miller and Evvie leave Traver in peace to finish work on his boat, but he returns to the two cabins to keep an eye on the pair while his boat soaks. Miller offers Traver work on the island in exchange for room and board, and uses Traver's presence as a pretext for Evvie to move into his own quarters. He offers Traver the small cabin she and her grandfather used, and makes her move her bed into his.
For her part, Evvie can't understand why the two men can't be friends. Traver explains why he has the gun: "It's easy for him to kill me. It's hard for me to kill him." By his reckoning, Miller has more power in that dynamic, so Traver holding on to the gun "makes us almost equal." After some coaxing from Evvie, Traver plays his clarinet. That night we see Miller kiss Evvie roughly. The implication is that he forces sex on the underage girl that night.
The following day, the local preacher, Rev. Fleetwood (Claudio Brook
Claudio Brook
Claudio Brook was a Mexican actor. Born in Mexico City, Brook had a prolific career, making around 100 film and television appearances in his 38 years. He won two Ariel Awards. He died from stomach cancer in 1995....
), and another white man named Jackson (Crahan Denton) come to the island to baptize Evvie. The Reverend soon has suspicions about Miller's treatment of Evvie, while Miller finds out about a rape charge against a black clarinet player, whom he concludes is Traver. The two themes of rape and racism intertwine as the tension on the island mounts.