Zappa (1983)

In the early '60s, 3 Danish classmates join a "den"/tree house. Steen likes his pet fish Zappa because it eats the weaker fish. Bjørn attracts girls and Mulle is a talkative, strong boy. Steen gets them into burglary and later escalates.

Director:

Bille August

Writers:

Bjarne Reuter, Bille August

Stars:

Adam Tønsberg, Peter Reichhardt, Morten Hoff

1 win & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Adam Tønsberg	...	Bjørn
Peter Reichhardt	...	Steen
Morten Hoff	...	Mulle
Lone Lindorff	...	Bjørn's mother
Jens Okking	...	Mulle's father
Arne Hansen	...	Bjørn's father
Solbjørg Højfeldt	...	Steen's mother
Ulrikke Bondo	...	Kirsten (as Rikke Bondo)
Søren Frølund	...	Teacher 'Kaalormen'
Thomas Nielsen	...	Henning
Mette Knudsen	...	Pige i købmandsforretning
Willy Jacobsen	...	Bjørn's Grandfather
Bent Raahauge Jørgensen	...	Steen's father (as Bent Raahauge)
Helen Svanholm	...	(as Helen Svanholt)
Elga Olga Svendsen	...	Bjørn's grandmother (as Elga Olga)

Storyline

Denmark, 1961. Bjørn, a middle-class boy in his early teens, wants to be accepted by Steen, a bullying peer of his with wealthy but freezingly cold parents. Bjørn's other good friend is Mulle, a cheerful and more childish working-class boy. All three seem friends at first, but gradually Steen starts pushing Mulle away while pulling the impressionable Bjørn with him towards more and more tragic violent behavior, fueled by frustration over his loveless home life.

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Plot Keywords:

vandalizing a bicycle | boy nudity | friend | denmark | vomiting | 

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Taglines:

En film der begynder som en hemmelig hvisken, og ender i et skrig (A film that begins as a secret whisper, and ends in a scream)

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Did You Know?

Quotes

Waiter on ferry: You haven't even got hair on your dick.
Steen: No, but I have hair in my ass.

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Connections

Followed by Twist and Shout (1984)

User Reviews

Not as good as "Twist and Shout" but close

Danish coming of age story. Bjorn and his buddy Mulle (who is cheerful and immature) start to become friends with Steen who is a big bully. Steen has a horrible home life and takes it out on everybody else. He pulls Bjorn and Mulle into more and more dangerous situations...and it all ends tragically.

This came before "Twist and Shout" but was released in the US after (because "Twist..." was such a big hit). This was good but not as good as the later film. The characters aren't as well-developed and the situations Steen pulls the boys into are disturbing (and unbelievable). Also I thought the ending was far too sick for any coming of age story. Still the acting was good and it's not a boring film--just pretty depressing. Beautiful closing shot too. Worth seeing--but see "Twist and Shout" too.

Details

Country:

Denmark

Language:

Danish

Release Date:

4 March 1983 (Denmark)

Also Known As:

Zappa

Filming Locations:

Brønshøj Kirke, Brønshøj Kirkevej 8, Brønshøj, Sjælland, Denmark

Company Credits

Production Co:

Per Holst Filmproduktion, Det Danske Filminstitut, Danmarks Radio (DR)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

103 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1