Alfonso Mejía makes a child’s need for affection painfully clear in The Young and the Damned. His reputation rests on Pedro, and we recommend starting there: an expressive, direct performance that keeps a harsh film human.
Fi1m perspective
Pedro wants affection, and Alfonso Mejía keeps that want visible amid the street violence. In Luis Buñuel’s The Young and the Damned (1950), his expressive face and spontaneous delivery make the child’s needs painfully easy to understand. It is a forceful performance, worth seeking out even if the film’s repeated cruelty makes for a difficult evening. Mejía gives us a reason to stay interested in a child whom the adults struggle to comfort.
Roberto Cobo’s Jaibo is the most troubling presence, and Mejía does not have to compete with him on those terms. The two performances give the children more than one way of responding to their circumstances: Cobo brings force to the violence, while Mejía keeps the need for tenderness apparent. Stella Inda’s Mother makes the adult world seem no better equipped to provide it. We were moved by Pedro’s longing for affection because Mejía makes the wish for comfort feel so ordinary beside the street violence.
That early child lead was followed by juvenile leads and supporting roles in dramas, westerns and comedies. The later work included Luis Alcoriza’s Tarahumara (Cada vez más lejos) (1965) and Por mis pistolas (1968), in which Mejía played Pablo Sánchez alongside Cantinflas. His final screen appearance came in Rubí (1970), as Dr Cuevas. His reputation nevertheless remains tied to Pedro, with little critical discussion of the later performances.
Buñuel and a dialogue director helped shape Mejía’s performance, particularly in the family scenes. The apparent spontaneity is no reason to overlook the work behind it. The film itself is less consistent, with repeated brutality and weaker subplots that sometimes wear us down. Mejía cannot make those passages less wearing, but he remains a persuasive reason to sit through them. We recommend starting with The Young and the Damned, but not for a restful evening.
Biography
Alfonso Mejía Silva was a Mexican actor. He was born on 16 November 1934 in Mexico City and died on 29 December 2021.
Mejía is best known for playing the lead role of Pedro in Luis Buñuel’s The Young and the Damned (original title Los olvidados, 1950). He received the Ariel Award for Best Child Actor for the performance. His other notable credit includes the role of Pablo Sanchez in Por mis pistolas (1968).
Mejía appeared in around thirty films and television productions during the 1950s and 1960s. His final screen role was in Rubí (1970), after which he retired from acting. He was married to Carmelita.
