Twist and Shout (1984)

This 1984, Danish film, set in the year 1963 (at the height of Beatlemania), is an exceptional coming-of-age tale about 2 young friends named Bjorn and Erik.Bjorn, a flamboyant, out-going drummer for a pseudo-Beatles group, and Erik, a reserved, conservative 17 year old with severe problems at home, are the best of mates who bravely take a stand against a world of controlling adults.Played out against a standard pop-culture backdrop - "Twist & Shout" is a raw, uncompromising look at human emotions. Friendship, loyalty, obsession, first love, loss and betrayal are all examined at close range here.I guarantee you that this "true-to-life" movie will leave no viewer unmoved.

As I know the Danish language and society, I include, from time to time, some Danish films or series into my watching list. Particularly those dealing with events before 1990ies, before my personal experience with this great nation and country. And as Bille August is one of the best known Danish directors in the world, it is logical that Tro, håb og kærlighed would appear sooner or later... Well, I suppose "later", as I had seen hundreds of Danish creations already, including August's Pelle Erobreren, so my expectations were apparently too high. No, don't get me wrong, the film in question is skilfully directed and diversely performed (particularly all depicting Erik's family), plus provides a good overview of life in Danish cities in the 1960ies, but the story itself is not smooth, is somewhat "chopped", and some events / reactions by people are not realistic (e.g. during the wedding). The solution/ending is also adumbrative and, all in all, I am not sure that this film (with rather unfitting title in English) does bespeak the youth and families in the 21st century as well, thus not possessing durable approaches and values. But of course, the film is far above being mediocre.

(add a few rating stars for the original Danish version)The old John Lennon/Paul McCartney tune has always been a popular anthem for teenage rebels around the world, but in this attractive Danish period piece (set in Copenhagen circa 1963) the title is a bit misleading: there's precious little of the song's youthful exuberance in the lives of Bjørn and Erik, best friends who find their loyalty to each other tested by the traumas and disillusions of young adulthood.At times the two characters almost seem to be in separate films: the outgoing, extroverted Bjørn enjoys the love of a lifetime with Anna before an unwanted pregnancy and painful abortion drives them apart, while the more shy and inhibited Erik battles his father over the emotional health of his mentally disturbed mother. Ironically, the film is almost too well crafted for its own good. The handsome imagery and meticulous camera-work aren't quite suited to a rock 'n' roll teen rite of passage, and the dramatic impact is further muted (on the old VHS tape I watched, at any rate) by the artless dubbing into textbook English.

The Danish movie, Twist and Shout, turned out to be a better movie than I had expected, despite using tired themes of the similar coming-of-age movies. The movie concentrates on the stories of two young friends, Erik and Bjørn. Bjørn is a flamboyant, outgoing kid with a passion for Rock N' Roll and Erik is his reserved, conservative friend. Both learn tough lessons about growing up, each in his own way. For Bjørn, his experiences come from first love when he falls for a lovely young girl named Anna. And we see Bjørn's first love in a way that reminds us of our own experiences that we have had (or will have) towards someone. Says Bjørn, glowing to his friend Erik, "I have never felt this way about anyone before." Sadly, these experiences also lead to a tragedy which force the relationship apart. Bjørn's friend, Kirsten, a wealthy, but empty girl, takes advantage of Bjørn's vulnerability and somehow forces him into a situation so that Kirsten may delude herself that Bjørn will forget all about Anna and find comfort in this new relationship. Bjørn's lessons are of the impossibility of substituting one thing for another. It seems that the value of his first love will live on with him forever.For Erik, his experiences involve his controlling father and a neglected and misunderstood mother. Erik is the shy, conservative kid that he is because of the strict upbringing by his father. Eventually, he comes to doubt his father's rules and loses respect for him as he draws closer to his mother.From his father's stories, it seems that his mother entered some sort of state of schizophrenia, though he said they called it Post Natal Psychosis, and I suppose Erik feels that this is partly his own fault for being born. Embarrassed by his mother at first, he gradually draws closer to her and discovers that she is actually quite a lovable person in that way you find something you love about your mom. And he finds out that his mother starts to feel better, and appears much more vibrant, although Erik's father tries to stop their time together. Erik is forced to defy his father to save his mother. Though it appears that the movie, simply judging by the title, is about two youth's experiences in the Rock N' Roll era, the music is only there as a condition of setting, but not as a drive of story. And though sad, it is still a wonderful film about growing up.