Delinquent

I just watched this film again for the first time since it came out in 1995. That it didn't find the broader audience it deserved back then always struck me as odd. It still holds up really well for a few reasons. It does a great job of conveying the pain of adolescents dealing with the messed up world foisted on them by uncaring adults who ought to know better - a scenario that all too many know all too well. The actors are utterly believable: you can't help feeling sorry for their characters as one poor decision after another leads to an unexpectedly violent ending. The film is brave enough to allow quiet moments to linger. These moments create the mounting tension which the audience knows has to lead to some sort of an explosion. Sure enough, when the stories of the two teens from opposite sides of the track merge, it inevitably leads to tragedy. The astute direction, camerawork and lighting are all spot-on - all credit to the director Peter Hall on what, as far as I can make out, was his only feature. The moody score by The Gang Of Four heightens the tension and drives the action. This is a film that still ought to find its way to a bigger audience.