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You Are Not Alone (1978)
You Are Not Alone (1978 movie)

Art House & International movie directed by Ernst Johansen and Lasse Nielsen

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The Taboo of the Times

  • Mar 2, 2008
  • by
Rating:
+3
"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.

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More You Are Not Alone (1978 movie) reviews
review by . April 08, 2009
Ah, "You Are Not Alone", a film notorious among a certain group for a scene of two boys showering together. Yes, it certainly has that, but thankfully it also has much, much more.    My first thought with this film was that it was rather like Dazed & Confused - Criterion Collection, except Danish and gay. Otherwise there are a LOT of similarities. You several story threads, some drug use, plenty of music and lots of sexuality, in addition to a huge supply of long-haired 1970's …
review by . June 22, 2007
posted in Movie Hype
Pros: Acting, story, music      Cons: The end is a little abrupt      The Bottom Line: This is a gay teen love story to be blunt. If this doesn't offend you, this is a fantastic film. If it does, avoid.      Plot Details: This opinion reveals major details about the movie''s plot.      You Are Not Alone (a Danish film: Du er ikke alene) is a little bit My Bodyguard and a little bit Harold and Maude. Please …
review by . December 14, 2006
posted in Movie Hype
DU ER IKKE ALENE (You Are Not Alone) is a 1978 Danish landmark film written by Lasse Nielsen and Bent Petersen and directed by Nielsen and Ernst Johansen. When the period during which this film was made, a time when gay theme movies were all but verboten, this little film is a brave, delicate, tender, unpretentious tale of the bonding, both emotional and physical, that occurs between two young boys in a boarding school in Denmark. The story develops slowly and insidiously, a fact that makes some …
see all You Are Not Alone (1978 movie) reviews (4)
About the reviewer
Amos Lassen ()
Ranked #227
I am an academic who reivews movies and books of interest to the GLBT and Jewish communities.   I came to Arkansas after having been relocated here due to Hurricane Katrina. I was living in … more
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About this movie

Wiki

Unflinchingly honest and boundlessly lyrical, the exploration of sexual awakening in You Are Not Alone was a turning point in world cinema. At 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 and Ernst Johansen’s classic film is a groundbreaking meditation on innocence, rebellion and love.
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Tags

Drama Movies, Movie, Romance Movies, Foreign Movies
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Details

Screen Writer: Lasse Nielsen, Bent Petersen
DVD Release Date: June 27, 2006
Runtime: 90 minutes
Studio: Tla
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"Finding Self, Finding Love"
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