Malandroxploitation: una aproximación a la construcción del personaje del malandro en el cine de Clemente de la Cerda

Abstract

The character of the “malandro” (a young man from marginalized areas who dedicates himself to small-scale robbery) is a constant presence in Venezuelan cinema. We can trace back this character to two films directed in the mid-seventies by Clemente de la Cerda: Yo soy un delincuente (1976) and Reincidente (1977). In this article we analyze the use that La Cerda makes of this character and argue that it follows a logic of exploitation cinema to the point that we can give it the name “malandroxplotation”. Likewise, we analyze some points that define the construction of this character.