An expansive narrative often starts with a simple seed of inspiration—a fact well illustrated by the journey of Rodrigo Moreno’s latest film, ‘The Delinquents’. The Argentine director shared insights into the film’s multifaceted origins and structure in a conversation over video call from Los Angeles. Moreno, now with seven films to his name, recalled being invited to remake “Hardly a Criminal,” a revered Argentine film from the 1940s directed by Hugo Fregonese. Initially hesitant due to a disconnect with the film’s thematic emphasis on wealth, Moreno found himself intrigued by the notion of revisiting and reinventing a segment of Argentina’s rich cinematic history.
Reflecting on his decision to ultimately accept the challenge, Moreno expressed a desire to create a more complex protagonist. While the original character only aspired to steal enough money to retire in luxury, Moreno’s version, played by Daniel Elías, aims to pilfer twice the sum—a metaphorical duality highlighting the depth he intended to bring to the silver screen. The resulting character of Morán sees his theft not as a financial coup but as a liberation from the shackles of time and employment—a job that drains life away.
Argentine filmmakers and audiences alike have taken note of ‘The Delinquents’ formidable 180-minute runtime. Moreno defends its length as essential to the story, wryly noting that it’s still shorter than some pop culture epics we readily consume. Indeed, the extensive duration permitted him to meticulously unfold the film’s two interconnected halves. The initial act delves into the procedural and personal minutiae of the heist, granting life to secondary characters. The subsequent half turns inward, exploring the profound themes of freedom and its dichotomy with routine, gorgeously crafting a cinematic piece that challenges the spectator to revel in the liberation from the mundane.
Moreno hardly escapes the allure of genre, though he refuses to be bound by any single one. Describing his seventh oeuvre as “many films in one,” he points to it being a hybrid of a heist story, existential pondering, romance, Western, and comedy with effortless fluidity. Thus, ‘The Delinquents’ is a genre-defying attempt to merge diverse cinematic traditions into a single cohesive narrative.
The casting for the film is testament to Moreno’s loyalty and affection for his collaborators. He brings back familiar faces like Esteban Bigliardi, who played Román and previously the lead in ‘A Mysterious World’—a Golden Bear nominee at the 61st Berlin International Film Festival—and Germán de Silva, taking on dual roles in the new movie. Moreno’s fresh discovery, Daniel Elías, is praised for both his thespian and personal qualities. Unconventionally, the director seeks actors whose personal essence can breathe authenticity into their performances—thus, Moreno sees film also as a documentary capturing the actors’ real-life persona, regardless of whether the content is fictional or factual.
The decision to select ‘The Delinquents’ as Argentina’s submission for Best International Feature Film at the Academy Awards, for Moreno, is simultaneously an honor and a fun and meaningful paradox. Although it did not make the shortlist, the nomination underscores the weight of representing a country with a storied film legacy.
In sum, ‘The Delinquents’ stands as an audacious artistic statement, a reflection on the pervading ethos of modern work, and a cinematic tapestry woven from strains of diverse genres. Delving into the human condition while reconciling with the meta-narratives of classic and contemporary film-making, Moreno’s film carves a path uniquely its own. Those with a taste for in-depth character studies and a penchant for defying traditional genre boundaries can experience Moreno’s ambitious storytelling firsthand, as ‘The Delinquents’ streams on MUBI.
