Swing Kids
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Movie Reviews of Swing Kids
Movie Review: Excellent film of swing and moral struggle
Summary: 5 Stars
Anyone who has stepped on to the dance floor with a live swing band playing knows just how well Swing Kids captures the electricity of a night of swing. Anyone who has strapped on their best duds an hour earlier knows the romance and anticipation captured perfectly as Peter Muller (Robert Sean Leonard) dresses for his last night of swing. This movie was in no small measure part of the impetus for the swing revival in the mid 90's, and I personally get "in the mood" for a night of cuttin' rug with Janis Siegel's incredible rendition of "Bei Mir Bist Du Schon" from the film.
But what makes this film truly superlative is its honest dealings with ordinary Germans' motivations for complacency towards or participation in Nazism. In Nazi Germany it was in everybody's best interest (save the Jews) to play along. From Peter's mother who just wants her children to live happily and avoid the terrible fate of their father to Thomas Berger (Christian Bale) who finds acceptance and encouragement for the first time, they do so for the reasons that would tempt each of us sorely. The horrible truth of the Holocaust is that, like the Germans, very few of us possess the selflessness and moral courage it would have required to oppose the evil tide of Nazism. Swing Kids is almost alone in its portrayal of this chilling truth among Holocaust and World War II films. Robert Sean Leonard's portrayal of this moral struggle for understanding and courage is very moving. (Of course, there's noone better at playing angst-ridden. c.f. Dead Poet's Society.)
As he dances his last dance, with the weight of the world on his shoulders, the world spinning around him, he finds a rare kind of release that is perhaps found only on the dance floor. And yes, his brother's cries, "Swing Heil! Swing Heil!", in the final scene give me a lump in the throat every time. For all these reasons and more, Swing Kids is an excellent film. Shame that there are no extras on the DVD.
Movie Review: A story about freedom, oppression and the evil in-between
Summary: 5 Stars
I am a big fan of Christian Bale. "Empire of the Sun" by Steven Spielbierg was a real masterpiece and Bale - young as he was - carried it like a man and a talented one at that. I did not really follow his career until I watched Chris Nolan's Batman Begins. I realised that an actor like that must have made some movies in between that were probably pretty good. So I picked up "Swing Kids". A simple story of a bunch of friends in Germany who are in love with big band music from America circa 1940, and who represent a kind of happy American rebellion against the severity and violence of Nazism. As the Nazis recruit Nazi Youth members for their SS army and Hitler's propaganda reaches its heights, loyalties are split. Especially since one of the friends is Jewish. Bale is the first to fall as he becomes consumed by Nazi nonsense and foregoes underground Swing Nights at the usual pubs to raid Swing Night groupies instead. Robert Sean Leonard's character is the Empathiser who wakes up to the immorality of his own countrymen when he sees the way their Jewish friend is taunted and maimed. As Bale's best friend, Leonard represents the Conscience. The movie builds up to an intense climax at a Swing club whereby Leonard abandons all inhibitions and dances madly even as he awaits confrontation with Bale, whom he knows will turn up. On distinct opposing sides, Leonard attempts to shake Bale out of his brainwashed stupor to see the reality of his actions. There are great performances in this movie and the plot is simple yet engaging. If you watch it without the usual expectations associated with highly publicised blockbusters, you will realise that this is really a good movie and wonder "How did I miss it?"Movie Review: A deeply moving film
Summary: 5 Stars
I saw this movie for the first time recently. I was very affected by it, and the very fact that it makes you think makes it a good film even if you don't agree with what you perceive to be the message of the film. The performances are priceless; particulary Christian Bale, Barbara Hershey, Kenneth Branaugh and Frank Whaley. Swing Kids has a very "real" feel about it, almost as if we've merely stepped back in time. I think it is the stark realism of the film that makes people unsure if they like it, being more used to black and white plots and over the top story-telling. Real life is rarely so cut and dried. Criticism of the film has included a charge of being "pro-nazi". I'm sorry, but I came away with a totally different view. It is a stark portrayal of the very nature and danger of evil ideas. At one point a character screams of the evil he has seen while the other puts his hands over his ears and blankly refuses to comprehend. Evil triumphs when good men stand by and do nothing. We all react diffrently and indifferently when approached by the sick things of this world. This is a quiet story of how four friends in their own desperation reacted. I do think that the ending was perhaps misguided. It is the only melodramatic moment in the movie and goes against the feel of the story. However, I still think this is a powerful film and worth seeing.Movie Review: You cannot love swing and be a Nazi
Summary: 5 Stars
"Swing Heil!" that was the rally cry of the Swing Kids fighting against the oppression of Nazi Germany with the music of Africans and Jews. Swing records had to be re-labeled to come into Germany. As soon as the Nazis learned about Benny Goodman, his records were relabeled in the name of his drummer, Gene Krupa.
"Swing Kids" is the story of three friends: Arvid, Peter, and Thomas and how swing and Nazism effected them. It's also about how music was a rallying cry for a nation of young people searching for something else to believe in.
The film's got a powerful lesson behind it about thinking for yourself. "Don't accept a job if you don't know the consequences," a Gestapo agent tells Peter when he's delivering books for a bookseller. Peter again recalls that lesson when delivering packages for the HJ.
While I would second that a lot of the story was predictable, what made it glorious were the performances of the cast and the music itself. I got this film in the bargain bin, but I promise I will be spreading the word to friends to buy and watch "Swing Kids." It's well worth the price--and then some.
Movie Review: Must-have for anyone seriously interested in movies.
Summary: 5 Stars
I came across Swing Kids purely by accident when I was zapping away one night. The movie intrigued me; Rebel kids in a WW2 setting of Nazi Germany, dancing at government-banned parties, and listening to banned (swing) records. One of them gets forced to join the Hitler-jugend, and since then gets despised by most of his friends, except for his best friend, who actually joins as well, as to offer his support. They end up on opposite sides; one gets indoctrinated by the Nazis, while the other still strongly opposes the whole concept.I am NOT going to spoil the plot any further, but ever since I saw this very movie (about two years ago or so) I have been trying to add it to my collection. This movie would be one of my top-3 in my (already huge (approaching 200 now)) collection, following up Lord of the Rings and Pulp fiction. The cast is awesome, their action is extraordinary, the music is excellent (anyone know any dancing schools in Holland that teach Swing-Dancing?), and the story is just great.