You Are Not Alone
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Movie Reviews of You Are Not Alone
Movie Review: MASTERPIECE
Summary: 5 Stars
Of all the coming of age movies I've ever seen, this one goes to no.1 on my list, way ahead of any other. (avoid 'Genesis Children'...total waste of time and money).
Described as a groundbreaking classic, this wonderful 1978 danish movie is totally honest, unpretencious and beautifully acted. For those of my generation, you are taken back in time where the flower child era was at it's best; you are almost uncomfortable watching the teachers with long hair and so open with the teenagers; at an experimental boarding school (avant garde), a boy who is gay is infatuated by a blond schoolmate (in the photo); they become friends, secretly at first, but then decide to be open about it, much to the dismay of some parents and school principal; there is nothing sordid or 'dirty' about it; simply affection, brief nudity, but the story would have been just as good without it; they are not the only ones discovering their sexuality; many other young teens have their first love with girls who work at the school; it brings you back to that awkward time, early teens, when you dont quite know how to approach a girl you like, let alone have your first kiss; the two main characters are the only ones who experiment with homosexuality (except for one other who tries both).
There is the school thug, two clans who face off at some point, but the main storyline, two boys who become close, romantic friends, is to be commended for the honesty, sincerity and boldness (even by today's standards) for touching on a subjet matter that is still too often taboo in some countries. I was frankly surprised it was sold in the USA, to be honest.
The story is sweet,interesting and well worth seeing; it, indeed, broke down many barriers in it's day and, despite the naive attitudes of youth in the flower power era, is still a great eye opener for those who had no clue about how teenagers behaved (and still do), with pranks, school, adults and most of all, the other kids they like, weather they are boys or girls.
A must see for 'coming of age' fans; excellent cinematography, naive script true to the era it portrays, a simple, muti-layered story where you will recognise yourself in one or many of the characters; 5 stars!
Movie Review: FINDING LOVE IN YOUR OWN SEX
Summary: 5 Stars
I first heard about this movie in 1980. I was in my very early twenties. Time passed, and was not able to obtain a copy and I forgot about it. Browsing through You Tube, recently I found it by chance. When I saw the preview I went to my amazon found it, and ordered it. It made me feel good to relive the feelings and emotions of my boyhood and especially the crush I had on one of my best male friends. From the start of the movie it shows how boys that age relate to one another in a pure form of honest male friendship. The shower scene is perfect and is an innocent act of male puberty. Growing up in the early 70's made me feel isolated and alone with these feelings. Why is it so wrong to feel this way for your own sex. It's not wrong. It is beautiful. I believe its part of loving yourself. Studying through history one comes to the conclusion that this ignorant way of thinking here in America, had to be instilled by ancestors of the Mayflower! Only in Europe could a film of this subject matter and, its beauty have been made. Repressing those feelings for so many years left me sad and miserable for years to come. Some of us outgrow it to eventually love a woman and, have a family and some of us don't! We as a society must come to terms with the facts that it is common in young males. This society tries to make you feel shameful and make you believe that it is morally wrong and against god, that is a crime in itself. Have people forgotten the Kinsey reports. Because of all this puritanical bull in this part of the world it gives me a bitter taste of ignorance.This film is beautiful and wonderful. Its not only sexual but also shows togetherness, friendship, and for me an important lesson in loyalty and being part of the team. Had we as boys back then been able to express ourselves with each other, we might have turned out a little better. Kinsey in his study of male sexuality found out that repressing those feelings and not being able to fulfill a desire makes you only want it more. I recommend this film to all young men out there who have felt these feelings as i did growing up! Currently at these crossroads of life it is so redeeming and rewarding to finally fine out that indeed, i was not alone!
Movie Review: A new iconography for boys in love
Summary: 5 Stars
This movie tugged at my heart the whole way through. I was born in 1966, the same year as Peter Bjerg (Kim), and I had those feelings, and I loved many beautiful boys in my school, but I was far too terrified to express myself because at the time I was going to school in a monolithic, rural, German-American, Catholic, homophobic community, where I feared for my safety had anyone known. Kim and Bo (and the other boys in this film) have literally acted out my adolescent dream of self-expression, acceptance, unity, and love, and I must admit it hurt to see what might have been had I been a little more courageous when I was a boy. It really brought me back to the era of bell bottoms and boys (and men) with long, beautiful hair. (C'mon guys! Let it fly!) I was in summer camp in 1978, and had I been more courageous there were a lot of boys I might have been able to share intimacy with (not necessarily sexual), and a lot of them looked just like these long-haired Danish boys in bell bottoms. (And shorts of a proper length! I hate these long shorts we have to wear today...)
Peter Bjerg was indeed beautiful in this film! His ever-present gentle smile, his big loving eyes, always looking confidently, reassuringly, and directly at whomever he was talking to (especially Bo), his subtle expressions, and his genuine responsiveness in the final scene (his eyes closed as Bo kissed him on the forehead -- so touching!), plus the fact that he looks so much like a boy I was SO attracted to when I was in 7th grade all added up to a picture of an extraordinarily talented actor who would have been the boy of my dreams, once upon a time.
Finally, I have wondered lately about why I'd never before seen a film, TV show, or even a picture of boys kissing. The iconic little boy kissing the little girl is everywhere, from greeting cards to tacky porcelain figurines to Norman Rockwell paintings and in many films, TV shows, and plays. Young boys kissing young girls. Where is the iconography for young love between boys? Can this film be all there is? It makes me sad.
Movie Review: Gay-zed and (Sexually) Confused
Summary: 5 Stars
Ah, "You Are Not Alone", a film notorious among a certain group for a scene of two boys showering together. Yes, it certainly has that, but thankfully it also has much, much more.
My first thought with this film was that it was rather like Dazed & Confused - Criterion Collection, except Danish and gay. Otherwise there are a LOT of similarities. You several story threads, some drug use, plenty of music and lots of sexuality, in addition to a huge supply of long-haired 1970's boys.
The film centers around a group of boys at an all-boys boarding school in Denmark. We follow several of them through their adventures, but mainly focus on a student named Bo and the son of the headmaster, Kim, who he falls in love with.
Other plots include a cafeteria worker who apparently enjoys deflowering underage boys, two boys who often fight with each other, a pair of other boys getting it on in the showers (to prove that, no, in fact the main characters are not alone), some townies who cause problems for our heroes, and one boy who gets suspended for display large amounts of pornography, which leads to a good ole (as it were), fashioned student uprising.
I was actually surprised at how good this film was. I cared about all the characters, not just the main two, and was interested in the fates of all of them. I was also quite pleased that unlike in most gay fiction, we don't have anyone get gay-bashed, commit suicide, or wind up dead.
The only thing that even slightly got on my nerves with this movie were the songs which I am sure sound great in Danish, but don't work so well when you're reading English subtitles.
Overall this is a good movie I'd recommend to just about anyone, gay or straight. Especially teenagers, as there's several good lessons to be learned from this film about standing up to authority and tolerating other people's sexuality. It's a lesson more people can and should learn.
Movie Review: Sweet Teenage Love + Friendship
Summary: 5 Stars
Overall, this is a very good movie about teenage boys coming of age, it is not one-track gay love or sex focused, but rather deals with several teenage issues such as: friendship, boy's pranks, school life, the usual rebellion towards strict authority, banding together and supporting each other, acceptance, getting picked on and there is an element of innocent gay teenage love that runs throughout the film so this film is appropriately tagged gay romance.
The film is very much a timeless piece; it is definitively relevant today even though it was released in 1978. It also demonstrates the cultural differences in relation to gay movies with teenage boys; Europe versus North America in the sense that this film is not afraid to show frontal nudity and it is done in an artistic film manner versus a pornographic film manner. I could easily imagine myself (when I was a normal everyday teen) in the nude scenes as they were very much normal "real life" scenes that many teens have probably experienced and do not come across as staged for the camera. Also refreshing is the liberal attitude of the Danish, they are obviously not afraid to make a film with teenage nudity knowing that it is quite innocent and honestly reflects life. In many parts of North America today, particularly in areas with strong conservative religious undertones that exist, this would probably be criticized as being particularly disgusting because you happen to see a scene with frontal teenage nudity, even though it is not filmed in a sexual or titillating manner. I am happy this film exists because maybe it shows heterosexuals that homosexuals are not so different in what they need in life and at the same time shows them that their support and kindness is much appreciated and helpful than the often seen hatred and bigotry.
I think that it is nice to have a gay-themed movie that is sweet to watch and that you can relate to thinking back to when you were a teenager without it being another depressing tragic gay movie.