Los golfos: Limited Edition – Radiance Films (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Spain, 1960
Director: Carlos Saura
Writers: Mario Camus, Carlos Saura, Daniel Sueiro
Cast: Manuel Zarzo, Luis Marín, Óscar Cruz, Juanjo Losada, Ramón Rubio, Rafael Vargas, María Mayer, Antonio Jiménez Escribano, Arturo Ors

Release Date: September 15th, 2025 (UK), September 16th, 2025 (USA)
Approximate Running Time: 84 Minutes 20 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.37:1 Aspect Ratio / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: 15 (UK), NR (USA)
Sound: LPCM Mono Spanish
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: £14.99 (UK), $39.95 (USA)

"A group of poor youths tear around Madrid pulling scams and petty crimes. As one of their gang prepares to perform in a serious bullfighting competition, they plan a heist that will raise the money to finance his entry." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 5/5

Here’s the information provided about the transfer, “Los golfos was restored in 4K in 2024 by Filmoteca Española in collaboration with Film 59 at Digital and Electronic Systems laboratory from the 35mm acetate negative, 35mm prints, and other intermediate photochemical materials. Restoration supervised by Javier Rellán and Patricia Uceda. Funding provided by ICAA/Ministerio de Cultura. The film was supplied to Radiance Films as a 4K digital file, and it is presented in the original aspect ratio with original mono sound.”

Los golfos comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 46.2 GB

Feature: 22.9 GB

The source looks excellent; image clarity, contrast, black levels, and compression are solid, and the image always looks organic.

Audio: 5/5

This release comes with one audio option, a LPCM mono mix in Spanish with removable English subtitles. The audio sounds excellent; dialogue always comes through clearly, everything sounds balanced, and range-wise ambient sounds are well-presented.

Extras:

Extras for this release include two short films directed by Carlos Saura: La llamada (7 minutes 4 seconds, 1.37:1 aspect ratio, no sounds, text in Spanish with removable English subtitles) and La tarde del domingo (33 minutes 42 seconds, 1.37:1 aspect ratio, LPCM mono Spanish with removable English subtitles), a featurette titled Censored Scenes; this extra explores scenes affected by censorship, which are presented alongside notes from the censorship committee and Carlos Saura (12 minutes 57 seconds, LPCM mono Spanish with removable English subtitles), an interview with filmmaker and curator Ehsan Khoshbakht, in which he discusses Los golfos, its influences, and Carlos Saura (17 minutes 11 seconds, LPCM stereo English, no subtitles), an introduction by author and former director of Filmoteca Catalunya Esteve Riambau, in which he discusses Los golfos, and Carlos Saura, reversible cover art, removable OBI strip leaving packaging free of certificates and markings, and a 32-page booklet (limited to 3000 copies) with cast & crew information, an essay titled And the World Goes Round written by Mar Diestro-Dópido, Report on the Script for Los golfos, Restoring Los golfos written by Javier Rellán and Patricia Uceda, and information about the transfer.

La llamada: A soldier is awakened by his wife to answer the call of war.

La tarde del domingo: An oppressed maid living with a middle-class family.

Summary:

Carlos Saura directed Los golfos. He’s known for The Hunt, Peppermint Frappé, Anna and the Wolves, and Blood Wedding.

Delinquent youths steal money for their friend who dreams of being a matador and needs money to make it happen.

At the heart of Los golfos is a film about disaffected youth in which a group of youths rebel against society norms. They come from broken homes that lack a father figure; they all reside in the most impoverished part of Madrid, where there are no opportunities and the only way to survive is assault and robbery. That said, Los golfos is more than a film about these youths' actions; it is ultimately a piercing commentary on how society has failed them.

The look and vibe of Los golfos is reminiscent of Italian neorealism; in place of sets, it uses real lived-in locations, and for many of its cast, it was the first or only film they appeared in. When it comes to performances and the cast's lack of experience, there is a rawness that adds an authenticity to them. Manuel Zarzo (Ricco the Mean Machine) in the role of Julián and Luis Marín (Rififí en la ciudad) in the role of Ramón are the two actors with the most experience, and it is not surprising that they are given the most to work with. María Mayer portrays Visi, a youth who sells herself for money, in another performance.

The narrative does an exemplary job fleshing out characters and building to a finale that sees them achieve the goal they have been pursuing. Another strength of the narrative is its lack of padding; it covers so much ground in just 84 minutes. Visually there are a few striking moments, notably the finale, where Juan finally achieves his dream as a matador and kills a bull. That said, most of the time the visuals let the characters be the focal point. Ultimately, Carlos Saura, for his debut feature, Los golfos, delivers a remarkable film that lets the characters and their actions speak for themselves without taking sides.

Los golfos gets an exceptional release from Radiance Films that comes with a solid audio/video presentation, two short films, and insightful extras; highly recommended.

 

Written by Michael Den Boer