Swing kids film. Swing Kids movie review & film summary (1993) 2022-12-28

Swing kids film Rating: 8,5/10 1553 reviews

"Swing Kids" is a film directed by Kang Hyeong-cheol that was released in 2018. The film tells the story of a group of young people in Nazi Germany who are passionate about swing music and dance. Set in Hamburg in 1939, the film follows the lives of Peter (played by Park Hae-il), Thomas (played by Oh Jung-se), and Arvid (played by Ryoo Joon-yeol), three friends who are part of a secret swing club. Despite the danger of their actions, the group continues to meet and dance, finding solace and joy in the music and each other.

The film explores themes of rebellion, friendship, and the power of music and art to bring people together. In a time when the Nazi regime was trying to suppress anything that didn't align with their ideology, the swing kids were able to find a way to express themselves and resist the oppressive regime through their love of swing music.

One of the standout performances in the film is Park Hae-il's portrayal of Peter, a character who is torn between his loyalty to his friends and his duty to serve in the Nazi military. Peter's struggle to do what is right, even when it means going against the wishes of those in power, is a powerful message that resonates throughout the film.

In addition to its compelling story and strong performances, "Swing Kids" is also a visually stunning film. The vibrant colors and energetic dance sequences bring the swing club to life, making it easy to get swept up in the music and emotion of the film.

Overall, "Swing Kids" is a compelling and moving film that explores the power of music and friendship to bring people together and resist oppression. It is a must-see for anyone interested in the history of Nazi Germany or simply looking for a heartwarming and uplifting film.

"Swing Heil": Swing Youth, Schlurfs, and others in Nazi Germany

swing kids film

Retrieved April 5, 2019. Through Peter, this decision of whether to openly rebel because it's the right thing to do, to look the other way to avoid trouble, or to take advantage of the current system and become a member of the Hitler Youth is brought into clear focus, as good a representation as any of the decisions teens in Nazi Germany had to make. Photo courtesy of the German Federal Archives. For many of them, especially those of privileged backgrounds, these actions were not so much a part of orchestrated rebellion and active resistance, but more of a game whose gravity they did not grasp. Show more Despite the negative reviews that greeted its initial release, this is a riveting story about rebellious teens in 1930s Hamburg coming face-to-face with Nazi tyranny.

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Swing Kids (2018 film)

swing kids film

If Hitler had encouraged the swing clubs, would the Kids have still developed problems with Nazism? The look varied from location and sometimes reflected differences in social background. That fall, based on these records, 63 swings were arrested. Do Kyungsoo is so incredible in this movie. Infectiously rhythmic, this Korean War POW camp tap dance extravaganza will have you yearning for old-school Hollywood showmanship and begging for more when the curtain falls. As many as half a million civilians remained in Stalingrad when the Germans approached in the late summer of 1942.

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Swing Kids Movie Review

swing kids film

And these characters will be tested on their ideology and loyalty; either to be freed physically or to be freed mentally. In their heart of hearts, they were teenagers who loved American popular jazz connected to ideas of freedom, self-determination, and self-expression. They race to the rescue, beat the Youth members to a pulp, and then discover the victim was not a Swing Kid but a Jew. It's a nice opportunity to see how history is so much more than the dry facts of a textbook, but rather, a way to see the connections and similarities linking the past to the lives we lead today. Reminds us all of what war can do and how it can create dilemmas and paranoia in relationships. The swing youth hardly started out as a political group. Some flocked to the cinemas to catch anti-American propaganda reels that showed Americans dancing the Lindy Hop so they could learn to imitate the movements.


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Swing Kids movie review & film summary (1993)

swing kids film

I watched today for the first time since and had no idea how conflicting it was and very captivating. No doubt they continue even to this day, celebrating their 70th birthdays by boogieing to the "Bugle Call Rag. In 2004 I lived in Vienna, Austria and had discovered the local swing music scene. What they all had in common was long hair-long enough to touch the collar, and slicked back in what was perceived as Hollywood style. Retrieved May 18, 2020. Essentially, they'd like to look the other way - to keep on dancing. Meanwhile, Sergeant Jackson is ordered by a superior officer to form a tap-dancing team from the POW camp.

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Swing Kids (2018)

swing kids film

Photo by August Priesack, courtesy of the German Federal Archives. The dancing was considered vulgar, inappropriate, and often connected to claims of sexual promiscuity. The POW camp itself is under intense strife between prisoners who are pro-communist and anti-communist. While not a huge box office success, the film influenced the swing revival of the late 90s and early 2000s by telling the fictionalized story of a group of teenagers in Nazi Germany. Was the plot deliberately skewed to pander to the movie youth audience? Did anyone consciously decide that today's kids would like a movie about young German music fans of the 1930s, but would be turned off by too much politics? Unsurprisingly, there are scenes in which Jews are being persecuted, as well as propaganda films from that time comparing the Jews to vermin.

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swing kids film

The story itself is unique to me. How could you learn more? He holds an audition in the camp and selects Chinese soldier Xiaofang, South Korean Kang Byung Sam, who was falsely accused of being a communist sympathizer and civilian Yang Pan Rae, who wants to support her family. This is a movie to watch, reflect, and discuss with family during our own troubled times. While Nazis hated jazz and every form it came in, the existence of these swing kids and their lifestyle posed a much bigger threat to their world view. Retrieved December 10, 2019. The second lead for me is the character Jackson. These teens and young adults that mostly knew each other from school or leisure activities, shared a love for swing, Anglo-American style and culture and were much more interested in self-indulging activities than the uniformity, military drill, and ideology of the Hitler Youth Hitler Jugend, HJ for short or the League of German girls Bund Deutscher Maedel, BDM for short.


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swing kids film

Not only did it make the music more attractive, it also offered ways to access it. Some engaged in provocative actions and violent confrontations, mostly with their counterparts in the Hitler Youth. On the one hand, massive propaganda and strict rules were used to keep swing at bay. But the beauty of tap dance is featured in the movie from the beginning until the end. On December 4, the cast and director attended a media distribution preview event for the film. Also, my son really likes swing music.

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swing kids film

I would love to rewatch it again in the future. The VIP premiere of Swing Kids was held On December 6. The Swing Kids may not have had the best reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, but it was tremendous dramatically, and the acting was far from subpar. One of the peculiar elements of this film is that the Kids don't seem very political. Those who survived the initial onslaught and did not manage to flee, had to eke out a living on a battleground ravaged by incessant bombardment and street fighting. The uniformity and military style of the Hitler Youth the Swing kids detested.

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swing kids film

I believe the motives of the characters were muddy on purpose, and that is the whole point to understand the empathy of all characters involved in corruption. In Nazi Germany in 1939, we learn, while Hitler was rounding up Jews and launching World War II, a small group of kids wore their hair long and danced to the swing music of such banned musicians as Benny Goodman and Count Basie. This led to an odd duality in the way Nazi authorities dealt with jazz. Who were these young people? There are moments here where the movie seems to believe Hitler was bad, not because he mapped genocidal madness, but because he wouldn't let the Swing Kids dance all night. Most boys would wear long, often oversized and checked sports jackets, hats with American-style brims, shoes with thick crepe soles and, in some cities, an umbrella, no matter the weather.

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swing kids film

Orchestras had to follow strict rules like not exceeding 20 percent of the repertoire to jazz, and some areas outlawed swing dancing and dances. They were a threat to regulated order. Jackson is the person that introduced tap dance to Kisoo. Retrieved January 28, 2019. Swing Kids began its seat sales and ranked first in the box office, surpassing Aquaman and Swing Kids attracted more than 1 million viewers. What followed were years of raids on music events, dance schools, and other informal meeting places. What they had in common was a love for jazz and an affinity for British and American pop culture which stood in stark contrast to the enforced Nazi culture of German nationalism, uniformity, and military regulation.

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