Drengene fra Sankt Petri

A movie that really touched me, and at the same time had a morale.

Some Boys in Denmark try to fight the Nazis, and the movie, is all about theyre fight against "the force".

Some great acting - especially Nikolaj Lie Kaas are doing a great job. Good directing to.

Actually very bad, but Søren Hytholm's acting is perfect. It is extremely touching when he plays so well in his role as a boy from Sankt Petri. The other actors are okay, but Søren Hytholm takes 100% the limelight, even from big names like Nikolai Lie Kaas. I don't understand how Søren Hytholm didn't get an Oscar/Nobel Peace Prize. He has saved so many lives from suicide and depression and changed the entire Danish film industry with his acting. This is without a doubt the best film in the entire history of Danish, nay, world history, because of Søren Hytholm. It makes less professional actors like Leonardo Di Caprio and Marlon Brando look like amateurs compared to Søren Hytholm's divine art form.

In 1942, in Denmark, a group of students gathers to perform acts of sabotage against the German forces. In the end, they are arrested, but in accordance with the final credits of the movie, it was the act of arresting a group of young men in Aalborg the trigger that initiated the resistance against Germans in Denmark.

This is a good movie, with a great direction and cast, specially of Nikolai Lie Kaas. The VHS released in Brazil has some problem in the edition, since sometimes the images are too close and we do not have a periphery view of the scene, like for example in a widescreen edition. I am not familiarized with the good Danish actors and actresses, but all of them have a great performance. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): 'Heróis da Resistência' ('Heroes From the Resistance')

"Drengene fra Sankt Petri" is a Danish film that transports the viewer to the tumultuous times of World War II. Set in the early 1940s, the film follows a group of high school students, including Lars and Gunnar Balstrup, the sons of Pastor Balstrup. The young men find themselves caught up in the resistance movement against the German occupation of Denmark.

The film was made in the early 1990s and has clear influence from films like The Outsiders (1983) and the group of devil-may-care boys who the film tells us from the opening scene are "cool".

The film portrays a group of teenagers experience the reality of the early German occupation of Denmark, when the Danish government was still collaborating. The boys are resisting from a mix of classic teenage anti-authoritarianism, good old "boys will have fun" and true patriotism.

The film shows the delicate balance where the Germans are not total oppressors, but the situation is worsening and the average Dane is pulled between safety and respect for its own government and the fact that an occupier is present and that occupier is evil. It offers a poignant glimpse into a difficult time in history, highlighting the courage of ordinary citizens who risked their lives to fight for what they believed was right.

Directed by Søren Kragh-Jacobsen, "Drengene fra Sankt Petri" features a talented cast, including Tomas Villum Jensen as Lars Balstrup and Morten Buch Jørgensen as Gunnar Balstrup. Other notable actors include Bent Mejding as Pastor Balstrup, Helle Merete Sørensen as their mother, and Nikolaj Lie Kaas as Otto Hvidmann. The ensemble cast delivers solid performances, bringing depth and authenticity to their characters.

While the film has some notable moments, I must admit that it failed to capture my attention for the most part. One issue that stood out was the clothing; it didn't quite convey the authentic feel of the 1940s, appearing more like clothes from the oversized style of the 90s. Moreover, the dynamic between the young stars fell somewhat flat; their bonding and problems didn't seem entirely believable to me.

Overall, I would give "Drengene fra Sankt Petri" a 6 out of 10 stars. While it offers an interesting cultural slice of the 1990s, the time it was made, it failed to live up to my expectations in terms of immersion in the 1940s and missed some excitement. However, I would still recommend it to anyone interested in Danish history, as it does provide some valuable insights into the struggles of the Danish people during World War II.

I was eager to see this film for a long time, as it is the 1st film role and breakthrough of one of the best contemporary Danish actors Nikolaj Lie Kaas. Appearance-wise, he has not changed much, and his distinctive performance was noticeable back then already (for being Otto, he won two important awards in Denmark). Pity and odd, that other young performers have not become so famous (apart from that Tomas Villum Jensen who played Lars Balstrup, the leading character, has turned into talented film-maker). But as for them playing adult roles, we see them still in the most famous Danish series today: Bent Mejding, Helle Merete Sørensen, Morten Suurballe...

As regards the script - based on real events - I had somewhat higher expectations. At times, it lacks evenness and contains scenes not providing additional value. Sometimes German occupiers seem just evil teachers to play pranks with, thus the motifs to begin with sabotage is somewhat vague - as German occupation in Denmark was rather mild in comparison with other countries. The ending could have been less trivial as well.

Nevertheless, Drengene fra Sankt Petri is a more-than-okay film, and it a must for admirers of NLK's talents; there, it all began...