Review of Swing Kids (1993) by Charles R — 23 Jul 2015
Reading some of the critic reviews here, I get pretty cheesed off. Rebellion and jazz go hand in hand. The subculture of swing in Nazi Germany is no mere footnote. My hero, Django Reinhardt, survived in Nazi-occupied France by his virtuosity and popularity alone.
As a German American, I am heartened by the fact that even the twisted and conformist jerks who occupied France knew brilliance when they saw it. Want two cultures who cannot be further apart, you have jazz and Nazis.
One focused on improvization and the individual, the other on conformithy and the state. This film explores that dichotomy and contains some fine performances. Good lawd. 39 percent on the Tomatometer? Get real, people!
This review of Swing Kids (1993) was written by Charles R on 23 Jul 2015.
Swing Kids has generally received positive reviews.
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