Die Brüder Löwenherz

When I first saw this movie at age of 6, I thought it was the most exiting movie I had ever seen. It teaches children about death in a good way, without getting silly.

The storyline is that Karl (Skorpan or Crispy) Lejon is sick and knowing that he soon gonna die. His brother Jonathan tells him about the land Nangijala, a land of tales and campfires (sagornas och lägerledarnas land). Jonathan dies soon after that when trying to save Skorpan from a fire. And soon after that Skorpan dies too. When they first meet up in Nangijala it seems like heaven, Skorpan can ride horses and swim. But soon he finds out that the evil black knight Tengil has enslaved the the village next to them. Skopan and Jonathan then joins the resistance force.

As I began this comment, this is a great movie. It is one of the most famous in Sweden, and EVERY swede I know love this movie. I just say too all of you; See this movie.

One of the greatest movie I've ever seen in my life about two brothers who'd die suddenly, other one in fire and the other of illness. After the death the brothers, meet in Nangijala, the country of magic and power, and it seems that they can have the most wonderful time of they're life without all worries and illness. But when the Black Knight Tengil, threat the people of Nangijala, the brothers help the freedom people to fight against the home rule.

Bröderna Lejonhjärta is one of the greatest movie I've seen in my life, and too one of the most touching movies you'll ever see. Check this one.

I think this film, and of course mainly the book by Astrid Lindgren, is one of the bravest children's movie I have ever seen. I remember as a child, seeing this film on video, and feeling totally absorbed with it, as I had never, until then, seen a movie that dealt with such issues for a child my age.

Thoughts moving around life and death are issues that all kids are confronted with, and are issues which evokes questions in the minds of children. Many grown-ups are unable to handle questions from kids regarding death, in these cases I think this film is an exquisite piece of art.

But of course the film is not all about death, it is also a movie about bravery, go about and dare to do what frightens you in life, and of course the life altering condition of love, the love between two brothers.

It's interesting to hear how Lindgren imaginative work started for this book. She told a Swedish newspaper many years ago that it started out with her walking through a cemetery, which was something she liked to do, and seeing the grave of two brothers. Then a time after, that she attended a press conference for the casting of a film based on one of her books, after the press conference the leading actor (a seven-year old) walked down the stage and sat down in his older brothers knee and the older brother kissed him on the forehead, which was something she found very moving; by then she knew her next story was going to be about two brothers. The final imaginative episode was when she went with the train in northern Sweden, she told it as being a cold winter day, "a day when it was as beautiful as if it wasn't of this earth" by then she knew that the story was to involve the question of death, and a life after this.

I had the privilege of owning this movie when I was a child. I think that my parents bought it from some video store that was going out of business. It was on a BetaMax tape, and was dubbed in English. I had to of watched this movie at least once week. The story is great, and the relationship between the two brothers is rather touching. Despite the fact that even as a child the dragon (who used to remind me of "the secret weapon" from An American Tale) looked terrible, it was one of my favorite movies for years. If anyone can find a copy of this movie, I suggest you watch it. Also, the synthesized soundtrack is quite good (arpeggios reminiscent of Philip Glass or something).

This movie/miniseries (as it is often shown) is probably one of the most haunting experiences I had growing up. The story deals with death, loss and responsibilities, and does not patronize its intended (young) audience. Most of all though, the soundtrack really got to me. The main theme can bring tears to my eyes even now, 26 years after it was first shown, way back then As a little boy I focused more on the scawwy scawwy dragon (don't laugh, it was kinda scary in 1977/78 !), but seeing it as an adult made me appreciate the story even more, although it's still hauntingly sad in places.. Brilliant work.