Rating: 
Summary: Swing Kids is AWESOME!``
Review: I loved Swing Kids. We watched it in our history class while studying World War II, and I thought it was one of the best movies we watched in class.
Rating: 
Summary: Critics? Pshh
Review: I was surprised after watching this, and using it in a high school history class, to find the luke warm to poor reviews it got. Made me wonder how they so badly misssed the point! Much of the criticism has been that it is about a relatively trival episode amoung much more weighty matters. Bah! That is the appeal! This is not a movie about paragons of virtue, it is about believable teenagers trying to live their lifes normally under abnormal circumstances. They are not heros, when they accidentally rescue a Jewish teen from a beating at the hands of the Hitler Youth they are horrified at having stuck their necks out. Only slowly do they realize that they have to choose if they are for or against the regime. (You know, sort of like the way real people would react)
If I had any doubts that this made the movie more, not less, effective they were dispelled by one of the papers I got about they movie saying the movie had made the student realize for the first time that it wasn't only the Nazi's intended targets who were affected by the oppression, but even those who were considered "Aryans". In an age when the youth are almost immune to being further shocked by violence and atrocity a very important lesson, and I think the point the movie was trying to make.
Rating:
Summary: great movie
Review: this movie is one of my favorites, my other fav. being Newsies. but this movie has so much history about WWII and the "Swing Kids" that i was drawn to it immeditaly. I watched it with my parents, but then someone called, and my mom was on the phone leaving me and my dad to watch it. When Arvid got beaten by his former friend Emile, i was crying because of what he was doing, and because he used to be his friend. then when Arvid killed him self, i was crying there too, my mom, who was on the phone and watching it at the same time was staring at the swing with her mouth wide open. then in the end, when Willie was in the street screaming "Swing Heil!" i had tears running down my face and knew that i had to get this movie because of the fantastic actors and the portrayal of the times. this movie is great, and i'd recommend it to anyone!
Rating:
Summary: Swing Heil!
Review: My own studies into the subject of German resistance to the Nazis made me particulary interested in seeing this film when it was released. And, I was surprised by how accurate the filmmakers were in their portrayal of the 'Swing Kids.'The 'Swing Kids' (aka Swing Jugend) were a little known subculture in Hitler's Germany. They were mostly from middle to upper class families. There was another group of kids who called themselves 'the Edelweisse Pirates' who came from predominantly working to lower middle class families. The class brackets gave these two similiar groups marked distinctions. Swing Kids were known for their love of swing & jazz, their lingo mostly picked up from American & English films, and their very hip sense of style--the movie gorgeously illustrates this style with incredible costumes & awe-inspiring dance sequences. The male members of the Swing Kids often wore their hair very long for the period--which is why it is such a big deal when Peter joins the HJ & is forced to get a haircut. The Edelweisse Pirates (I have heard rumors that a film is being made about them as well) could not afford luxuries such as clothes & records. As a result they stuck to a simple costume, mostly recognizable by the bright scarves they wore. Instead of jazz, they played folkier songs that had been banned by the Nazis or they made up (often raunchy) parodies of popular Nazi songs. While the Swing Kids were a bit passive-agressive in their resistance to Hitler, the Edelweisse Pirates all but declared war on the HJ, often giving the Hitler Youth a taste of their own medicine with severe beatings. When 'Swing Kids'was released, I remember Roger Ebert being particularly critical of the film because the 'Swing Kids' didn't actually do anything to prevent Jews from being mistreated. To illustrate his point, he talked about the scene where the 'Swing Kids' mistake a Jewish boy who is being beaten by a group of Hitler Youths for a 'Swing Kid' & get involved in the fight. Ebert was angry because they didn't help him because he was Jewish. It might have been noble to have portrayed the 'Swing Kids' as Jewish rescuers, but it would not have been very accurate. While in some cases, after being harrassed & seeing what was happening around them, many 'Swing Kids' did become motivated enough to join in resistance & rescuer activities, liberating Jews was not at the forefront of their agenda. That criticism is actually one of the reasons I think they are a fascinating footnote to recent history. Theirs was a 'crime' of nonconformity & I think their story gives one a clue as to what life was like in Nazi Germany if you did not fit the mold--if you thought your own thoughts, dressed the way you wanted to dress, liked to hear music that moved you, etc. All the things that we take for granted everyday. And the fact that subcultures like this were present under the Nazi regime is another fact that should not be forgotten. Ebert also criticized the look of the movie, saying that the Nazi posters were almost too accurate & that at times it seemed like the film was pro-nazi. The film was extremely authentic, but hardly pro-nazi. I think the filmmakers were only trying to convey what these kids saw around them everyday. As for the movie, Robert Sean Leonard & Christian Bale put in fine performances. Noah Wyle is extremely believeable as a former Swing Kid who has embraced Nazism in it's full glory. And why doesn't Frank Whaley get more work? His performance of the too knowing & tragic Arvid is my favorite by far. The ending of the movie is a bit melodramatic. But that is not reason enough to avoid this film. I think if you are a student of history and/or have a love of jazz & swing music, there is no reason not to see this film. My review may seem a bit textbook, but the movie is a good time that will leave you with something to think about later. Keep on dancing. Especially if it makes people (in power) nervous!
Rating: 
Summary: Swingtime for Hitler
Review: When I first saw the trailer for this film years ago, I thought to myself that this had to be the most preposterous subject for a movie. Imagine: all singing, all dancing, all Hitler. As a fan of bad movies I resolved to see this as soon as it hit my local cinema. Unfortunately, it missed my theater completely, as well as a lot of others, because the flick died after two weeks or so of release. Apparently, a lot of other people had the much the same reaction to that trailer, only they were more frugal with their money than I was willing to be. It wasn't until I saw the film on cable that I realized it was not nearly so bad as the trailer suggested. "Swing Kids" is actually based on a little known footnote to history. It has always been assumed that in Nazi Germany everyone thought and acted as one. Not so, especially among the youth. While the Hitler Youth was still the state-approved organization, it had lost its appeal, becoming seen as part of an establishment that allowed no channel for rebellion. Youth rebellion in Germany, as in the United States, was by no means monolithic. In the working-class sections of Dusseldorf, Cologne and Leipzig, gangs such as the Edelweiss Pirates ruled the streets, fighting the authorities and preying on the Hitler Youth (who themselves were bullies, but could not be touched by law enforcement). In the middle and upper class neighborhoods of Hamburg, resistance took the form of English-style dress and an addiction to American swing music. Known as "Swingjugend," they were just as annoying to the authorities as the Edelweiss Pirates, though nowhere near as dangerous. (In 1944 the Pirates murdered the Gestapo chief of Cologne.) By the time war broke out in 1939, most swing kids were either in the HJ or labor camps. Unfortunately, "Swing Kids" gets off to a bad start by barely mentioning its subject in a 30-second preamble before getting into the plot itself, which concerns the friendship of three devotees of swing music, Peter (Robert Sean Leonard), Thomas (Christian Bale) and Arvid (Frank Whaley). We learn, quickly, that Peter's father was hauled off by the State for being a dissident, and that Arvid is also an outcast because he is clubfooted, and therefore a cripple in the eyes of society. (Ironic, in that Goebbels was also clubfooted)Thomas is a lost soul, caught up only in the friendship of Peter and the music. Caught by the police for a stupid prank, Peter is rescued by his friendly local Gestapo Agent (a brilliant turn by Kenneth Branaugh, who, for some reason (?), had his name removed from the credits. Hmmm.)and forced into the Hitler Youth. There he is joined by Thomas, who will not see his friend suffer alone. But as time goes on, Thomas is more and more taken in by the trappings of the Hitler Youth and what they offer: acceptance, which he does not get at home. There is no such respite for Arvid, who, as the film progresses, becomes ever more morose and alienated, choosing suicide before the authorites get to do it for him. The ending is not only predictable, but also cloying, with Peter relapsing back into his former life. As he is taken away by the authorities, younger brother Willy grabs Peter's umbrella and pledges alliegence towards all things Swing with an obligatory "Swing Heil!" Branaugh denounces his former project as a case of misspent passion and we can well say this of the movie as a whole. Too many opportunities are missed and we are left with the feeling that perhaps this would have worked better as a documentary (there were swing kids in pre-war Japan also). This was a movie designed to take advantage of Christian Bale, who lit up the screen in Disney's previous "Newsies," but the ambiguous script and plodding direction let eveyone down and make this, like "Eddie and the Cruisers" a movie best enjoyed on cable or DVD. And at the price of the DVD it is well worth it, if only for the performances of Branaugh and Bale. Besides, if you already own "the Producers," what could be more interesting than to have the two musicals based on Nazi Germany?
Rating:
Summary: Good Movie..A must see
Review: I seen this movie years ago , i had too have been 13/14 years old , well im glad i did , people below explained more than i can get into , i really think this should be part of everyones collection ....
Rating:
Summary: Swing Kids
Review: Swing Kids is one of the best movies about the WWII era. There aren't many movies about war time that don't invlove bombs,planes and death. This film was kept simple, with kids as their focus. There needs to be more films around that can teach those of us who weren't there about the youth of the time, and this film does it greatly.
Rating:
Summary: Underrated film!
Review: I was pleased to find Swing Kids has recently been released on DVD, since it has been out of print on video for many years. This is one of the most underrated films of the '90s - it is surprising how many people have not seen it or even heard of it. The cast is superb - Christian Bale, Robert Sean Leonard and Frank Whaley are excellent. The ending is truly heart-wrenching and unforgettable. Combine the dramatic elements of a young Nazi-torn society with the fantastic element of Swing makes this a great movie, indeed. Very watchable, again and again.
Rating:
Summary: Historically relevant
Review: This is a movie that is relevant on at least two levels. It is an important historical lesson in how the Nazi's overwhelmed a segment of German society through innuendo and deceit. Especially important in the role of the Gestapo official. In traditional movies Gestapo officials are stereotypically mean and absurd. In Swing Boys the role is much more realistic and devious. He is a friendly, smiling character who gradually pulls the noose tighter until there is no escaping the Nazi death grip. The movie demonstrates how the "normal" people of society are lured into the anti-social behavior of a regime gone mad. This is an important movie because it's message is timeless, a real lesson in why if we don't learn from history, it is bound to repeat itself. On other notes, the music and dancing are great and offer a nice contrast to the sterility of an unbending political dogma.
Rating:
Summary: Simply outstanding
Review: Such a great movie!
The age were is located the action, the actor's perfomance, and specially the soundtrack make this movie that kind of films that "you have to see". Definetely, one of my favorites.
|
