Swing Kids Movie Analysis
Weston Miller Miller1
Mr. S. Torok
CHC2D1
Friday, April 19, 2013
Swing Kids The 1993 drama “Swing Kids” starring Robert Sean Leonard and Christian Bale is overall a very good movie. The film is set in Nazi ruled Germany in the year 1939 and tells the incredible story of three boys and their love and fight for swing music. Swing Kids is a remarkable display of directing and acting talent. Thomas Carter's eye for camera technique lends the feeling of actually being alongside the characters throughout their struggle. From the moment the movie began with a remarkable dance sequence, to possibly one of the most dramatic and heart wrenching final scenes in movie history, I was unable to take my eyes away from the screen. The emotions that Swing Kids delivers to the viewers range from happiness and excitement, to anger and sadness. I highly encourage all that have a passion for good film to sit back, relax, and enjoy “Swing Kids”. I give Swing Kids two thumbs up, and a 9/10.
Germany in 1939 was a horrible place to be for some people. The Nazi Government head by Adolf Hitler outlawed everything that wasn't pure German, this included swing music from the United States. Peter Müller (played by Leonard) and his friends Thomas (Bale), and Arvid (Frank Whaley) had a very strong love and passion for swing music and broke the laws to listen to it. Not only was swing music banned because of it not being pure German, but many swing musicians were African American such as Duke Ellington, and Jewish such as Benny Goodman. People of these ethnic and religious backgrounds were considered inferior in Miller2
Germany at the time. During the movie, as the Nazi's grip on prohibited items grows tighter, Thomas joins the Hitler Jugend (Hitler Youth). The Hitler Jugend, or HJ as it was commonly known, was an organization that trained children and teenagers to be soldiers. The HJ strongly influenced Thomas to the point where he
Mr. S. Torok
CHC2D1
Friday, April 19, 2013
Swing Kids The 1993 drama “Swing Kids” starring Robert Sean Leonard and Christian Bale is overall a very good movie. The film is set in Nazi ruled Germany in the year 1939 and tells the incredible story of three boys and their love and fight for swing music. Swing Kids is a remarkable display of directing and acting talent. Thomas Carter's eye for camera technique lends the feeling of actually being alongside the characters throughout their struggle. From the moment the movie began with a remarkable dance sequence, to possibly one of the most dramatic and heart wrenching final scenes in movie history, I was unable to take my eyes away from the screen. The emotions that Swing Kids delivers to the viewers range from happiness and excitement, to anger and sadness. I highly encourage all that have a passion for good film to sit back, relax, and enjoy “Swing Kids”. I give Swing Kids two thumbs up, and a 9/10.
Germany in 1939 was a horrible place to be for some people. The Nazi Government head by Adolf Hitler outlawed everything that wasn't pure German, this included swing music from the United States. Peter Müller (played by Leonard) and his friends Thomas (Bale), and Arvid (Frank Whaley) had a very strong love and passion for swing music and broke the laws to listen to it. Not only was swing music banned because of it not being pure German, but many swing musicians were African American such as Duke Ellington, and Jewish such as Benny Goodman. People of these ethnic and religious backgrounds were considered inferior in Miller2
Germany at the time. During the movie, as the Nazi's grip on prohibited items grows tighter, Thomas joins the Hitler Jugend (Hitler Youth). The Hitler Jugend, or HJ as it was commonly known, was an organization that trained children and teenagers to be soldiers. The HJ strongly influenced Thomas to the point where he