2. Shoeshine
The Italians weren't too keen on happy-go-lucky cinema in the immediate post-WWII era. From them emerged a new genre called neorealism, which used mostly non-professional actors in realistic street settings. Shoeshine was one such film, and if it's not one of the most difficult movies to watch ever I'll eat my hat. Shoeshine is about two friends no older than 15 years old, Guiseppe and Pasquale, living as shoeshine boys in the streets of post-war Italy. They hope that with enough income, they can buy a horse. If they can do that, it would be an absolute dream come true. But the boys get into a bit of trouble, and through circumstances out of their control, end up in a juvenile detention facility. Watching these young boys wrongly imprisoned and punished is powerful, and becomes even more so as Guiseppe and Pasquale's friendship is tested. Pasquale snitches on Guiseppe's brother, who is the reason for their imprisonment. This enrages Guiseppe, who turns his cellmates against Pasquale, who is eventually beaten. When Guiseppe and his cellmates escape the prison (killing a young boy in the process), Pasquale snitches on his former friend once again and tell the officers where they were going. Pasquale leads the officers to them, and finds Guiseppe on a bridge in the park. Pasquale starts flogging Guiseppe with his belt, inadvertently causing his former friend to fall from the bridge and break his neck, killing him. The film ends with Pasquale crying over his dead friend. Just a reminder, these characters are under 15 years old.