You Are Not Alone (1980)

Unflinchingly honest and boundlessly lyrical the exploration of sexual awakening in You Are Not Alone was a turning point in world cinema. In a Danish boy s boarding school in the late 1970s Bo and Kim are naive young classmates whose friendship blossoms into a childlike love affair. When their friend is expelled for a prank involving lewd posters the student body bands together to strike against the school and its authoritarian headmaster. Lasse Nielsen classic film is a groundbreaking meditation on innocence youthfull rebellion and love. System Requirements:Running Time 90 Mins.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: DRAMA Rating: NR UPC: 807839002492 Manufacturer No: TLAD126 Product Description

Awesome Film

This is the best coming of age film i have seen. it shows the friendship between two boys turn into true love. this story shows the real side of young boys growing up. October 5, 2008

Fasttrack down Memory Lane

For those of us that were young and idealistic when this movie was shown for the first time in 1980, the movie will be a pleasant reminder of the ideals and ideas we thought were so important at that time. The movie is very political correct seen through the 1980 glasses. Oh so idealistic and correct the young teacher's statement are, and oh so old fashioned and fascistic the rector's view are! Of course the young and pure ideas had to win forth! So archaic the whole movie is, looked through the 2008 glasses.
But if you can endure the political correctness, the movie is a gem. The young actors are very fresh and honest. The acting might not be in the Oscar class, but what they lack in experience they have in abundance in freshness and enthusiasm. The main character Kim played by Peter Bjerg is in addition stunningly beautiful. Im not sure todays young people will enjoy this movie, for that the world might be too different. Some may also be taken aback by the frontal nudity of young boys and how open gay love between young boys are shown. Considering how Sally Mann was treated after publishing nude photos of her own children, I would not be surprised that some will turn their backs on this movie in disgust. To bad for them! Buy the movie!
June 26, 2008

great love story

It is a great love story for 2 boys in a boarding house that go good together. May 14, 2008

It didn't work, wouldn't load.

The dvd was defective, and did not work. When contacted about this for return, Amazon was very helpful, made the return process easy. No arguments, just expedited the process. And the price was deleted from my Visa. Communication with Amazon was timely and effective. March 7, 2008

The Taboo of the Times

"You Are Not Alone"

The Taboo of the Times

Amos Lassen

Rewatching "You Are Not Alone" last night made me realize how much gay life has really changed. The Danish movie made in 1978 deals with an aspect of society which was a taboo and considered quite scandalous when it was first released. It is about life in a boarding school in Denmark and focuses on the conflict of the old fashioned views of the headmaster as opposed to the more liberal views of the schoolboys. Ole, one of the students is to be expelled because he hung "pornographic" pictures in the bathroom However, the boys will not let this happen and unite against the headmaster and the boy is allowed to stay. Another subplot concerns Bo who is 15 and Kim who is 12 and the headmaster's son.
They have an intimate relationship which goes beyond the bonds of friendship. The relationship is portrayed as something quite natural and they do not hide it from their schoolmates who seem to have no trouble with it.
The value of the film is the story that it tells and shows a period in history which is now lost. It is a film about life and misery, love and happiness, sex and understanding, challenges and victories, senselessness and achievement and systems and rebellions. It is an enchanting and naïve and deep and moving.
The seventies were quite a time. It was a time for creating differences and applying them to the existent system. But one must have an open mind to watch this film. As innocent as the relationship of Bo and Kim is, we know the depth that we do not see on the screen. It is the story of first same-sex love and even though it is handled with style and sensitivity, it was considered a taboo when the movie was made and is still considered as such today by many.
Even though the characters are not fully developed, the idea behind the film set new standards for other films on the same subject. This film flings open the closet door on youthful homosexuality and it does so with honesty. So be warned--this is not a movie for the narrow minded or for those who wish to discredit our being.
March 2, 2008

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