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.
