Nice effects though.

Lack of good storyline.

Good concept, poorly executed.

While it doesn't offer any answers, it both thrills and makes you think.

The images in the film are bright and clear for a foreign film in 1978. If you've ever watched Second City Review and seen their parody of foreign films you'll be disappointed here. This film keeps you on the edge in a very subtle way. Is it gay? The plot deals with a boys boarding school- go figure. It's not ashamed, apologetic, political, or anti-religious. It just is. You'll just have to watch it. But watch the uncensored version not the one on YouTube. I really do hate that kind of censorship regardless of who's doing it. Still, I wish I could've had a boyfriend like Kim when I was that age; that and everything else it would've taken to have such an ending. Peter Bjerg is just gorgeous. No, I mean gorgeous. I don't know about now but I imagine still cute in a masculine way. There is a kiss in this film which is comparable to the shot of Dominique Swain kissing Jeremy Irons in Adrien Lynes' "Lolita"; when she runs upstairs to kiss him goodbye. I just won't tell you which scene it compares to. Both scenes and soundtrack are very compelling- even though I don't understand Danish. Also the word 'androgynous' comes to the foreground. Something unheard of in my neck of the woods of that era. It took me a while to figure who was what gender. Such a story might even have come from Ireland (present day). I did some reading on Denmark after watching this film. Why would this movie and "Friends" (Paramount, 1971) cause such a stir in the 'Land of the Free"? And it don't sound so Brave to me. I just saw this film over the weekend and thought 'Too bad Peter would be about 42 now." This film is not homophobic; it definitely would have been if it were dealing with Americans- in any era. You should look up Denmark's history of gay rights. Denmark rocks! Oh! Peter Bjerg, you were so lovely. Kim is mature for his age group, growing past playing 'Indians' with his peers. I just found it odd about the age difference; the way I was segregated by age in my school, we never had contact with 12 year olds when I was 15. But then this takes place in a boarding school. The boys in school are really laid back; 'jocks' and grab ass aren't present, there's none of that sport team homophobia you'd get with an American screenplay. There are some stills of Peter Bjerg out there somewhere that are pretty decent resolution. God, he's cute! So anyway watch the film, I hope you enjoy it.

I have to say I found this movie touching, insightful, and refreshingly reminiscent of the innocence of the late 1960's and early 1970's. It seemed a bit choppy, but I think that is because it was much longer originally and was edited significantly for various reasons. It is a sweet movie about a sensitive topic, done tastefully with sincerity and without pretensions. I'd recommend this for viewing in health classes if our society wasn't so hung up about sex, homosexuality and the possibility it might be viewed as pedophilia because of the brief nudity in the shower scenes and the "revealing" clothing worn during the era. Some responses to other comments I saw here: Bo, the older boy, is shown in a constant state of conflict because of the emotions his unusual desires are creating. He wants to be a regular kid and have typical relationships with other boys, but finds himself attracted to some boys in a sexual way. That is why you see him acting so hesitantly in his overtures towards Kim. He is attracted to Kim, but is concerned about the difference in age and uncertain how to deal with Kim's own innocent interest. As for the younger kid, Kim, he is just happy to be there. Try to remember what it was like to be 12 or 13, still innocent about sexual things, but wanting desperately to be accepted and included by the older kids. Then imagine a kid like that having a Bo come along in his life. It's very easy to convert that kind of hero worship into a sexual thing, and I think Bo is being cautious because he really likes Kim and doesn't want to take advantage. Besides, he isn't that much more knowledgeable than Kim, he's just slightly older, and also pretty confused about what to do himself.Keep in mind that this is filmed in Denmark around 1977-78. I noted several comments concerning the apparent lack of interest on the part of the other boys in the school to Kim and Bo's obvious physical closeness. In the first place, many European cultures are not so concerned about physical displays of affection between same-sex friends which stop short of actual sexual play. This is especially true of Scandinavian cultures such as Denmark, where nudity is not a big deal and sharing showers like the scene between Bo and Kim is quite innocent and playful. The other bathroom scene between the Lars character and some random kid that Bo walks in on is another story, and Lars was extremely lucky it was Bo who caught them and not some other less tolerant character, like Ole or a teacher.In the second place it's typically in restrictive, Victorian cultures like the USA and the UK where boys have a heightened sense of concern for inappropriate touching. As we become teens we worry more and more about being labeled geeks and fags and so we try as hard as possible to be the opposite. Since the USA is the main "superpower" now, this Victorian attitude is slowly integrating into other societies and is starting to be a major problem. However, in the film's 1970's culture, the kids are not so concerned about each other that way, although Ole does show some about one of the teachers who touches him. Still, its obvious from Aske's (the intelligent, sensitive group leader) diplomatic response to Ole's comment, supported by the other kids, that this is something most don't seem very worried about. I think Ole's concern is shown to be based on his own insecurities, which is a truly insightful point the film is trying to make about why anyone would have such negative feelings about these relationships.Finally, one guy said he was made uncomfortable about a "female teacher taking advantage" of one of the kids. This is Lars, the same kid Bo catches with another boy in the bathroom. The older girl was not a teacher, it was a girl a year or two older than the boys who was working as a cook in the school kitchen. Lars would be about 15 and the girl might have been 16 or 17. Take another look carefully and you will see this is the same girl they go to the picnic with. It's not a scene supporting pedophilia, it is a scene showing how an older teen might explain to a less knowledgeable partner how to perform. I think that is something ALL of us have experienced at some point in our own teen-aged lives.This is a good movie and I enjoyed watching it. Makes me wish I was a kid again, but only in a more open and accepting society like the one in the film.

I finally got a chance to watch a movie last week...it had been over a month! This movie tells the story of two young boys that fall in love, one a post-pubescent student at a boarding school, the other the pre-pubescent son of the school's headmaster.First, the movie is beautiful. The interaction between the two main characters is touching, and handled with tender care. The two young men (who are the actual ages they are portraying) are excellent and convincing in their roles...as are the other young actors who make up the rest of the students at the school. The interactions between all the characters in the movie are incredibly realistic...not sugar coated, or worse, over dramatized.There are issues, however, with this movie that make it less than excellent. For one, the script is terribly fragmented. For a while, you forget that there is supposed to be a relationship developing between the two main characters. The main storyline gets lost amongst a jumble of other side stories going on inside and outside of the schools walls. While these side stories don't dull down the movie (on the contrary, they are often humorous and charming), they strip any semblance of order and purpose from the narrative.The other issue is that all the other characters are either completely oblivious to the affection that Bo and Kim share (which is nearly impossible), or they don't care (which seems equally odd). While I've nothing against a story that is simple, innocent, and charming...you'd think that these two boys would suffer some of the hardships that come along with being young and gay. :giveup Overall, I applaud the movie for approaching it's subject material so openly, in a way that would NEVER be seen in an American film. The characters are engaging and a joy to watch. Too bad the story wasn't more cohesive. Still, worthy of a 7/10.

Excellent movie, if you have an open mind. The two boy's relationship grows in a very innocent manner. Even if you are heterosexual, you can probably identify with the feeling of your first infatuation for another person and all the little moments together that seemed special. This movie deals with first love, of another kind, in an extremely tasteful manner. My only regret is that, in America, people will not tolerate movies like this one. It makes it very hard to hear of, and also see movies with such an explosive subject. I would recommend it, if you can find it.