Jul 27, 2006  |  By: GREG MARZULLO  | COMMENTS     

The portrayal of romantic sweetness between two young boys lifts the 1978 Danish film “You Are Not Alone,” into a fairyland of exploratory freedom.

TLA Releasing has just rolled out the still somewhat radical film, directed by Lasse Nielsen and Ernst Johansen, on DVD.

An all-male boarding school in Denmark is run by a morally righteous and uptight headmaster (Ove Sprogøe). The students seem to be between 10 and 15 years old, and, predictably, sex and rebellion are the constant subjects of conversation.

One of the school’s charges, Bo (Anders Agensø) takes a liking to Kim (Peter Bjerg), the cherubic-faced son of the headmaster. The boys form a friendship that quickly leads to physical intimacy of an indeterminate variety.

The two shower together, hold one another, paint each other up as Indians and kiss. Although it’s not clear just how far they go, Kim does become fond of joyfully saying, “Sex is wonderful.”

The boarding school seems to be a hotbed of eroticism with two other boys discovered making out in the shower and an older female chef molesting a young student in the basement. One of the troublesome students keeps pasting straight porn up on his bedroom wall and in the shared student bathrooms.

In an attempt to keep the boys on a moral track, the headmaster coaxes the children into doing a theatrical representation of the Ten Commandments. All the parents are invited to the event, but the students choose to create a video dedicated to Christ’s golden rule of loving thy neighbor as thyself.

THE OVERT SEXUALITY between the two boys, one of whom hasn’t developed pubic hair as revealed in the nude shower scene, could cause some nervous squirming on the couch. America’s conservative leanings on sexual expression strangles the entire notion of childhood sexual exploration, even though many pre-adolescents toy with sensuality on a regular basis.

The scenes are played with a refreshing innocence that, surprisingly, doesn’t feel smutty or voyeuristic. At the same time, there’s nothing in these moments that suggests anything erotically alluring to an adult libido — at least a well-adjusted one. The unfolding romance seems more like the childhood many gay men wish they had as opposed to an exploitative movie for creepy freaks with a pederasty fetish.

Interestingly, the relationship between the older woman and the young boy is intensely uncomfortable to watch. This violation becomes a foil to the budding relationship developed by the boys who are peers in age and physical development.

Both Agensø and Bjerg deliver unabashed performances that help the film to seem less like a movie than an escape into the viewer’s own alternate, hoped-for history. The fresh honesty of their scenes creates a solid backdrop for a film that can sometimes feel like it’s veering off course.

There are many stories in the boys’ school: a troubled student who might get terminated, teachers in rebellion against the strict moralistic code, the headmaster’s hope of further funding from the government, and the normal hormone-charged fights that break out between young boys.

All of these side stories provide the background for the bas-relief of Bo and Kim’s relationship, but at times, Nielsen and Johansen seem unsure of how to proceed with the central story. The radical prospect of showing the young boys’ desire for one another might have caused the directors to squirm a little, too.