TO BE A BOY IN THIS WORLD
a collection of films (1921-2016) about a boy´s life in this world - a list which i have made from scratch (and not copying it from other imdb user lists). all these movies represent BOYHOOD in different cultural historical societal religious etc. context and from various viewpoints and ages (the protagonists age being approximately from 1 to 18).
most of these films offer an alternative to uninspiringly sweet and stuffy family movies or commercial spectacles (harry potters etc). i think that a constantly and consistently happy boy is a phony anomaly and he is also very boring and disgusting to watch.
if you are a responsible (and perhaps unconventional) adult in a boy´s life you can watch these films together but see and read up my comments and reviews if necessary! many items i have listed here are more or less inapproriate for the youngest viewers or are only relevant for adult audience.
UPDATING OF THE LIST FINISHED AFTER 2016 because of the copycats. I may still add comments and reviews for those films already on the list.
most of these films offer an alternative to uninspiringly sweet and stuffy family movies or commercial spectacles (harry potters etc). i think that a constantly and consistently happy boy is a phony anomaly and he is also very boring and disgusting to watch.
if you are a responsible (and perhaps unconventional) adult in a boy´s life you can watch these films together but see and read up my comments and reviews if necessary! many items i have listed here are more or less inapproriate for the youngest viewers or are only relevant for adult audience.
UPDATING OF THE LIST FINISHED AFTER 2016 because of the copycats. I may still add comments and reviews for those films already on the list.
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- DirectorCharles ChaplinStarsCharles ChaplinEdna PurvianceJackie CooganThe Tramp cares for an abandoned child, but events put their relationship in jeopardy.a timeless classic; even a smart phone generation will like it. perhaps a little overrated now as all the chaplin films but mostly enjoyable and watchable.
- DirectorBéla BaloghStarsGéza BerczyErnö VerebesImre KisA couple of boy gangs in Budapest constantly fight over the neighborhood turf. One of the Paul Street gang members is a highly sensitive youth that is humiliated and taunted by members of his own gang as they consider him somewhat of a sissy. In order to prove that he is not yellow and as part of a battle preparation he has to get wet in an icy pond. He does so, his gang wins, and they are about to confer an honor on him the next day, but he has died from getting wet the previous day.one of the early filmings of the famous novel by ferenc molnar.
- DirectorGerhard LamprechtStarsRolf WenkhausKäthe HaackFritz RaspEmil goes to Berlin to see his grandmother with a large amount of money and is offered sweets by a strange man that make him sleep. He wakes up at his stop with no money. It is up to him and a group of children to save the day.a german classic. remade in 1954 and 2001.
- DirectorNikolai EkkStarsNikolay BatalovYvan KyrlyaMikhail DzhagofarovYoung hobos are brought to a new camp to become good Soviet citizens. This camp works without any guards. But crooks kill one of the young people when they try to damage the newly build railroad to that camp.this was the first soviet talkie and nikolas ekk´s only prominent work strongly influenced by other soviet masters of the era. the story is of course propagandistic and unintentionally comical for contemporary viewers but disregarding the funny aspects it still remains a fascinating film and also highly influential in world cinema. especially film freaks and history students will appreciate it. recommended.
- DirectorYasujirô OzuStarsTatsuo SaitôTomio AokiMitsuko YoshikawaTwo young brothers throw a tantrum when they discover that their father isn't the most important man in his workplace.one of the greatest silent classics in world cinema by the japanese master yasujiro ozu; absolutely charming and very highly recommended.
- DirectorJulien DuvivierStarsHarry BaurRobert LynenLouis GauthierA red-haired boy is his mother's punching bag ; only his father's presence is a great comfort to him,but this weak man is under the shrew's thumb. His pain is so great he feels suicidal.the suicide of any child is a tragic event, and although relatively rare, it is still a leading cause of death in children under 15 years old worldwide - did you know that? this very old film deals with this painful and terrible topic. of course it is over 80 years old and perhaps handles the theme a bit too lightheartedly but the climax is still horrifying! how rejected and unloved must a child feel that he decides to do the utmost act?
this is not the first cinematic dramatization of the famous autobiographical novel by jules renard (the first was in 1925 by the same director) but i think it is the best and most recommendable. see also comprehensive and illuminating user reviews. - DirectorJean VigoStarsJean DastéRobert le FlonLouis LefebvreIn a repressive boarding school with rigid rules of behavior, four boys decide to rebel against the direction on a celebration day.a surrealist french classic; its anarchism is appealing.
- DirectorGeorge CukorStarsFreddie BartholomewFrank LawtonEdna May OliverA gentle orphan discovers life and love in an indifferent adult world.old and perhaps outdated now but many consider this to be the best interpretation of the novel.
- DirectorYasujirô OzuStarsTakeshi SakamotoYoshiko OkadaChôko IidaUnemployed Kihachi and his two sons struggle to make ends meet. But that doesn't keep Kihachi from wooing single mother Otaka.the last silent film is only a minor piece in ozu´s career but is worth a look if you are a really serious fan of the japanese master.
- DirectorMartin FricStarsHugo HaasHana VítováZdenek StepánekSimultaneously filmed Czech language version of a German film, in which an unhappy dogcatcher in the poor part of town has a transformative experience befriending an abandoned boy and a stray animal.a czech classic. i have taken all the available measures to watch this film, to no avail (yet). so i cannot give any personal comment or recommendation but read up on the other reviews.
- DirectorHiroshi ShimizuStarsReikichi KawamuraMitsuko YoshikawaMasao HayamaTwo young boys are usurped from being the head of their gang of children. Their father is fired and arrested for this, and they are sent to live with their uncle, only to spend their time thinking of ways to escape back home.an excellent film by japanese director hiroshi shimizu. highly recommended but the film is unfortunately hard to find.
- DirectorHiroshi ShimizuStarsTeruo FuruyaMasao HayamaShin'ichi HimoriThe brothers of Children In The Wind deal with declining family fortunes: they must work when the father becomes sick, and eventually live with their grandfather, which means making new friends and struggling with a different environment.another marvellous movie about boys life in the 1930s japan, right before WW2; highly recommended. it´s a pity hiroshi shimizu is not so widely known in the west, his films for children are extraordinary!
- DirectorVictor FlemingStarsSpencer TracyFreddie BartholomewLionel BarrymoreA spoiled brat who falls overboard from a steamship in the 1920s gets picked up by a New England fishing boat, where he's made to earn his keep by joining the crew in their work.a little outdated adventure now, still modestly entertaining.
- DirectorNorman TaurogStarsTommy KellyJackie MoranAnn GillisTom Sawyer and his pal Huckleberry Finn have great adventures on the Mississippi River, pretending to be pirates, attending their own funeral and witnessing a murder.old-fashioned charm - and in early technicolor!
- DirectorNorman TaurogStarsSpencer TracyMickey RooneyHenry HullWhen a death row prisoner tells him he wouldn't have led a life of crime if only he had had one friend as a child, Father Edward Flanagan decides to start a home for young boys.the film is here mainly because of mickey rooney, a big star at the time doing his most memorable role in andy hardy films...
- DirectorMark DonskoyStarsAleksei LyarskyVarvara MassalitinovaMikhail TroyanovskiyA drama reveals the great writer's inauspicious early years as an orphan raised by conniving relatives.childhood of a writer; a soviet masterpiece and therefore recommended.
- DirectorJohn FordStarsWalter PidgeonMaureen O'HaraAnna LeeAt the turn of the century in a Welsh mining village, the Morgans, he stern, she gentle, raise coal-mining sons and hope their youngest will find a better life.john ford john ford john ford... an american classic.
- DirectorZoltan KordaStarsSabuJoseph CalleiaJohn QualenA boy raised by wild animals tries to adapt to human village life.kipling and korda: an exciting jungle adventure for boys of all ages. note also "the thief of bagdad" (not on the list).
- DirectorManoel de OliveiraStarsNascimento FernandesVital dos SantosAntónio PalmaThe story takes place in the old streets of Porto and by the banks of the Douro River. A gang of very young kids has just accepted a new member, Carlitos, a shy boy who has "played it tough" by stealing a doll in a shop. Carlitos soon has a crush on Terezinha, the only girl in the group. The trouble is that Eduardo, the gang boss, is also in love with the pretty girl. And he will not allow any rival to challenge him.a distant mirror into portuguese life in the middle of the global turmoil in 1942 though the thunder of the ww2 seems to be far away. the childrens acting is little akward but it is perhaps forgivable for the first feature of manoel de oliveira who was to become the most famous and prolific director in the country. a curiosity and a national treasure in portuguese cinema.
- DirectorAlf SjöbergStarsStig JärrelAlf KjellinMai ZetterlingAn idealistic adolescent suffering under the thumb of a sadistic schoolmaster falls in love with a loose girl who is bullied and tormented by another lover.a swedish curiosity from 1944 is a very dark story; for adults only...
- DirectorHumphrey JenningsStarsMichael RedgraveMyra HessJohn GielgudThis brief documentary-style film presents the status of Great Britain near the end of the Second World War by means of a visual diary for a baby boy born in September, 1944. Narration explains to "Timothy" what his family, his neighbors, and his fellow citizens are going through as the war nears its end, and what problems may remain for new Englishmen like Timothy to solve.an extraordinary documentary about britain in 1944-45 and about atmosphere of the country during the last year of the war. poetic and poignant and repeating the intimate mood of "listen to britain" (1942) jennings asks baby timothy jenkins a serious question or rather makes a sincere wish that the post-war generation would be wiser to create a better world. but have we succeeded? perhaps a little borderline film in the list but utterly charming and disarming.
- DirectorVittorio De SicaStarsRinaldo SmordoniFranco InterlenghiAnnielo MeleTwo shoeshine boys in postwar Rome, Italy save up to buy a horse, but their involvement as dupes in a burglary lands them in juvenile prison; the experience take a devastating toll on their friendship.an italian neorealist classic; the tragic end needs little parental guidance but it is a beautiful film, a world cinema gem.
- DirectorClarence BrownStarsGregory PeckJane WymanClaude Jarman Jr.A boy persuades his parents to allow him to adopt a young deer, but what will happen if the deer misbehaves?a charming old-fashioned hollywood film.
- DirectorDavid LeanStarsJohn MillsValerie HobsonTony WagerA humble orphan boy in 1810s Kent is given the opportunity to go to London and become a gentleman, with the help of an unknown benefactor.a great interpretation of the dickens novel. highly recommended. note also lean´s oliver twist.
- DirectorDavid LeanStarsRobert NewtonAlec GuinnessKay WalshIn Charles Dickens' classic tale, an orphan wends his way from cruel apprenticeship to den of thieves in search of a true home.david lean´s interpretation of the dickens story is quite haunting.
- DirectorCharles CrichtonStarsAlastair SimFrederick PiperHarry FowlerA gang of street boys foil a master crook who sends commands for robberies by cunningly altering a comic strip's wording each week, unknown to writer and printer. The first of the Ealing comedies.terrific and thrilling entertainment and fun for boys of all ages. the first of the famous ealing comedies and one of their best, too. excitingly filmed partly around authentic post-ww2 london and in its destructed buildings. highly recommended.
- DirectorCarol ReedStarsRalph RichardsonMichèle MorganSonia DresdelA butler working in a foreign embassy in London falls under suspicion when his wife accidentally falls to her death, the only witness being an impressionable young boy.a modest thriller, suitable for boys over 12.
- DirectorHiroshi ShimizuStarsShunsaku ShimamuraNatuski MasakoGosho ShoichiThe movie focuses on the plight of ten war orphans hailing from different cities across Japan. With nowhere to go, they scavenge around train stations, scratching out an existence by means of black market work for a one-legged tramp whilst avoiding being picked up by the police for vagrancy. Soon however, they find a more inspiring role model in the figure of a nameless soldier just repatriated after the war. An orphan himself, the soldier also has no home to return to, and so sets out across the country with the kids in tow in search of work before settling on the goal of leading them to the orphanage where he himself grew up.a heartbreaking film from the post ww2 japan. the total devastation is still overtly and distressingly portrayed in this story about war orphans travelling through bombarded japan looking for a better life - there is even a scene shimizu shot in hiroshima burned to ashes. the film has thus historical and documentary value as well but ABOVE ALL IT IS A SAD STORY (but not without subtle humour) ABOUT THOSE WHO ALWAYS SUFFER THE MOST IN ANY WAR: - even today in syria iraq yemen libya gaza kongo south sudan - THE CHILDREN. but watch it with your kids and do not be afraid of them feeling sad. that is only good for them. the ending is emotionally overwhelming but with optimism and hope! very highly recommended.
- DirectorRoger LeenhardtStarsOdile VersoisMichel FrançoisJean LaraA schoolboy remembers his last holiday in the big house of his family in the country, before it was sold.a genuine french classic.
- DirectorRobert J. FlahertyStarsJoseph BoudreauxLionel Le BlancE. BienvenuThe idyllic life of a young Cajun boy and his pet raccoon is disrupted when the tranquility of the bayou is broken by an oil well drilling near his home.an american semi-documentary drama classic; highly recommended.
- DirectorRoberto RosselliniStarsEdmund MoeschkeErnst PittschauIngetraud HinzeA young German boy faces the problems of the tough life in the immediate post-WWII Berlin.devastated childhood in the devastated country, a very sad story that is not suitable for the youngest viewers (or only with little parental guidance).
- DirectorFred ZinnemannStarsMontgomery CliftIvan JandlAline MacMahonIn post-war Berlin, an American private helps a lost Czech boy find his mother.perhaps more a career boost and a vehicle for young montgomery clift. see also a sort of a remake of this film with exactly the same title "the search" made in 2014 (about a chechnyan war).
- DirectorGéza von RadványiStarsArtúr SomlayMiklós GáborZsuzsa BánkiA band of runaways and orphans of the war scour the countryside in search of food and shelter. They invade and then taken in by a musician and former concert pianist who's hiding out in a ruined castle. After the initial altercation between them the gang accepts his guidance and he wins their respect by protecting them from the elements. However, disgruntled townsfolk want to chase away the gang who has been - in their search for survival - laying waste to their crops. A battle ensues ending in the death of a little boy - and resolution.a hungarian classic but not easily available so it is likely to remain unwatched. see other (mixed) user reviews
- DirectorAleksander FordStarsMieczyslawa CwiklinskaJerzy LeszczynskiWladyslaw GodikThe story of Polish and Jewish families living side by side in one Warsaw street. Everything changes once and for all with the Nazi invasion.holocaust in poland through a boy´s eyes
- DirectorSidney MeyersStarsGary MerrillDonald ThompsonClarence CooperA documentary account of the rehabilitation at the Wiltwyck School of an emotionally disturbed Black boy who is unwanted, misunderstood, and inwardly tortured.this famous document can be watched free at internet archive.
- DirectorJoseph LoseyStarsPat O'BrienRobert RyanBarbara HaleThis parable looks at public reaction when the hair of an American war orphan mysteriously turns green.a good allegory about racism and prejudice - theme that is always topical, unfortunately...
- DirectorVittorio De SicaStarsLamberto MaggioraniEnzo StaiolaLianella CarellIn post-war Italy, a working-class man's bicycle is stolen, endangering his efforts to find work. He and his son set out to find it.another italian classic; a milestone in world cinema and very highly recommended.
- DirectorGong YanMing ZhaoStarsMo ChengLongji WangLong GongboanOn the adventures of homeless orphan Three Hairs, a street urchin fighting for survival in the 1940s.
- DirectorTed TetzlaffStarsBobby DriscollBarbara HaleArthur KennedyTo avoid the heat of a sweltering summer night a 9-year-old Manhattan boy decides to sleep on the fire escape and witnesses a murder, but no one will believe him.thrilling, even scary; parental guidance is needed.
- DirectorTakis BakopoulosStarsEllie LambetiNikos KazisNikos FilippopoulosA rich widower impregnates a poor young woman and dumps her. Her brother, member of a resistance group during the Occupation, tries to mend things up.i have not been able to watch this film so i cannot comment it. see the user reviews or critics elsewhere.
- DirectorGregg G. TallasStarsMaria KostiNikos FermasVasileios FragedakisA young survivor of World War II and former member of the reputed "Barefoot Battalion", a close-knit pack of disciplined orphaned boys, recounts to a homeless street urchin the story of 160 orphans who aided the Resistance.i have not been able to watch this film so i cannot comment it. see the user reviews or critics elsewhere.
- DirectorLuis BuñuelStarsAlfonso MejíaRoberto CoboEstela IndaA group of juvenile delinquents live a violent and crime-filled life in the festering slums of Mexico City, as the morals of young Pedro are gradually corrupted and destroyed by the others.a cruel story about mexican street boys is still as powerful and relevant as it was in 1950 and highly recommended. tragic ending needs some parental guidance if you watch this with small children.
- DirectorCharles FrendStarsStephen MurrayKay WalshJames FoxA boy steals a powerful magnet from a younger boy and gets him into all sorts of trouble.an ealing film starring young james fox. i have not seen this but it is interesting. do not skip it if you have the chance to watch it.
- DirectorGordon ParryStarsJohn Howard DaviesRobert NewtonJames HayterTom Brown (John Howard Davies) starts at Rugby boarding school. He is tormented by Flashman (John Forrest), the school bully.the story have been told many times, the first filming was made already in 1916, later in 1940. this british version from 1951 seems to have the highest valuation among the audience and critics; later also a tv serial and a tv movie.
- DirectorJoseph LoseyStarsJohn Drew BarrymorePreston FosterJoan LorringA teenager comes of age while seeking revenge on the man who beat up his father.an effective little thriller and noirish melodrama by losey. for adults though it is not very violent.
- DirectorJohn HustonStarsAudie MurphyBill MauldinDouglas DickTruncated adaptation of Stephen Crane's novel about a Civil War Union soldier who stuggles to find the courage to fight in the heat of battle.a war film based on stephen crane´s american classic is interesting enough to be included on the list.
- DirectorDavid BradleyStarsGeorge MurphyNancy ReaganBilly GrayIn an idyllic setting, a likable but dangerously volatile twelve-year-old boy tries to settle a score with his disagreeable, mysterious neighbor.despite my efforts i have not been able to watch this film so i cannot comment it. see the user reviews or critics elsewhere.
- DirectorCharles CrichtonStarsDirk BogardeJon WhiteleyElizabeth SellarsA violent fugitive and a mistreated small boy team up to flee from authority.an excellent little thriller - but perhaps seriously underrated? at least i never had heard of it until i came across it by accident. i am glad i did (it is in youtube - no subs). young dirk bogarde is in his finest form here and so is also jon whiteley as little robby. chrichton does a satisfying directing here almost as well as he did in "hue and cry" five years earlier. recommended, suitable for boys over 10 years of age (it is not very violent). see also praising user reviews!
- DirectorPhilip LeacockStarsJon WhiteleyVincent WinterAdrienne CorriA Scotsman, Jim MacKenzie, living on a primitive homestead in Nova Scotia, is raising his two grandsons, Harry and Davy, following the death of their father in the Boer War. His son's death has developed antagonism by MacKenzie toward all Dutchmen, which leads to Harry brawling at school with the son of a Dutchman. Harry falls down a cliff and is helped home by the community doctor, Willem Bloem, a Dutchman in love with MacKenzie's daughter, Kirsty. Due to the old man's feelings, they must carry on a clandestine romance. Forbidden by their grandfather to have a dog, Harry and Davy "kidnap" an unattended baby and care for the child in a lean-to shack. When found, the baby proves to be the child of MacKenzie's most-bitter Dutch enemy.this is hard to find anywhere so i have not been able to watch it. little jon whiteley is here as well. see above ("the hunted" 1952)
- DirectorJohn DurstStarsDavid CooteNick EdmettSusan Ford
- DirectorRay AshleyMorris EngelRuth OrkinStarsRichard BrewsterWinifred CushingJay WilliamsA young boy fears that he shot his older brother, who is only faking. He then runs away to Coney Island, a crowded beach area, and gets money by returning soda bottles for their deposits.a small classic outside hollywood conventions. it has an authentic feel and flavour of the early 50s. a truly genuine and incredibly honest film, an absolute delight. very highly recommended!
- DirectorAlbert LamorisseStarsAlain EmeryLaurent RocheClan-ClanIn the Camargue, France, a young boy bonds with a white haired horse that escaped from ranchers.an interesting short which has aesthetic and ethic values rising above the average? i have not seen it, it is only my anticipation.
- DirectorAleksander FordStarsAleksandra SlaskaTadeusz JanczarAndrzej KozakIn war-ravaged Warsaw, five juvenile delinquents are given probation for stealing, to rehabilitate themselves, but remain under the influence of their profiteer-boss.an early colour film from the gruesome aftermath of the most brutal and horrific modern war in any country: ww2 poland. strength of this film is a bit undermined by political tendencies but you can it still see that it was an obvious model for wadja´s own later works to come - he was an assisting director for ford here. the colours are now faded because the film material used behind the iron curtain then was far inferior to that of the western technicolor but despite and considering the post-war shortcomings "the five boys from barska street" is important and impressive but also raw and uncompromising film making and recommended especially for film and history students.
- DirectorAndrzej WajdaStarsTadeusz LomnickiUrszula ModrzynskaTadeusz JanczarStory of youth during the German occupation of Poland in World War II who come to adulthood through love and adversity.a polish classic by andrzej wajda. and of course easily recommended. of course there is a political tendency because it was made in the fifties under the communist rule but as a film it is fine. the first part of a trilogy (other parts not listed here).
- DirectorSatyajit RayStarsKanu BannerjeeKaruna BannerjeeSubir BanerjeeImpoverished priest Harihar Ray, dreaming of a better life for himself and his family, leaves his rural Bengal village in search of work.the first and the best of satyajit ray´s apu trilogy, one of the most beautiful and poetic films ever made and very highly recommended!
- DirectorSatyajit RayStarsPinaki SenguptaSmaran GhosalKamala AdhikariFollowing his father's death, a boy leaves home to study in Calcutta, while his mother must face a life alone.the second film in ray´s apu trilogy
- DirectorSatyajit RayStarsSoumitra ChatterjeeSharmila TagoreAlok ChakravartyThis final installment in Satyajit Ray's Apu Trilogy follows Apu's life as an orphaned adult aspiring to be a writer.a father and a son and hardships of life... the last of the apu trilogy, still highly recommended though adults find it more interesting.
- DirectorNelson Pereira dos SantosStarsModesto De SouzaRoberto BataglinJece ValadãoA semi-documentary on the people of Rio de Janeiro. The camera follows boys from a hillside shanty town who sell peanuts at Copacabana, Sugar Loaf Mountain, and a soccer game. Various subplots, involving characters they meet along the way, are interspersed.a hard to see document, if you have the opportunity to watch it, do not waste it.
-- i noticed the other day that it is in youtube but without subs and the picture quality is quite terrible. - DirectorCarol ReedStarsCelia JohnsonDiana DorsDavid KossoffKandinsky informs Joe that a unicorn can grant wishes, the hopeful lad ends up buying a baby goat with one tiny horn, believing it to be a real unicorn. Undaunted by his rough surroundings, Joe sets about to prove that wishes come true.
- DirectorNicholas RayStarsJames DeanNatalie WoodSal MineoA rebellious young man with a troubled past comes to a new town, finding friends and enemies.too obvious a choice for the list? perhaps. quite outdated now but has value as a historical curiosity... for boys who are interested in sociology or james dean. remember also jimmy´s film "east of eden" (not included on the list).
- DirectorFritz LangStarsStewart GrangerGeorge SandersJoan GreenwoodA young orphan is sent to the village of Moonfleet in Dorset, England to stay with his mother's former lover, who has the facade of a gentleman but leads a gang of swashbuckling bootleggers; the duo go on a treasure hunt.an exciting adventure, recommended!
- DirectorBretislav PojarStarsIlja CernohorskyVladimír HlavatýJarina Rejskovawhen there is a will there is not always a way. with this idiom i try to say that this film remains one of those (unfortunate?) watching experiences that will never happen because the film is unavailable.
- DirectorWolfgang StaudteStarsKees BrusseJenny Van MaerlantRiek SchagenPopular Dutch story of a troubled boy who doesn't get along with his mother while his sailor father is gone, and whose only help saving him from a career of crime is a schoolteacher.this old dutch classic is in youtube but the english subs are not working there. it is a film almost every dutch boy has seen sometimes, either this or the remake (1984), which is also in youtube. a solid story about a boy and his down and out life with bad mother and absent father but also about other adults that can make the difference. recommended.
- DirectorAlbert LamorisseStarsPascal LamorisseSabine LamorisseGeorges SellierA red balloon with a mind of its own follows a little boy around the streets of Paris.short but seminal
- DirectorIrving RapperStarsMichel RayRodolfo Hoyos Jr.Elsa CárdenasA young boy named Leonardo adopts a bull after saving it during a storm, but their friendship is soon threatened by the legal owners of the animal who claim ownership of it and ship it off to the bullring to face a legendary bullfighter.
- DirectorLester James PeriesStarsSomapala DharmapriyaMyrtle FernandoShesha PalihakkaraA sprawling portrait of rural life in Sri Lanka; the story revolves around a boy and his friend--a blind girl who he accidentally 'heals' by giving her sight. Though the girl believes the boy healed her, in reality the boy has no such powers. The father of the boy fools the village folk into believing he's a healer, but ultimately the sham is exposed, causing the village to revolt against the boy and his family.i have taken all the available measures to watch this film, to no avail (yet). so i cannot give any opinionated and personal comment or recommendation but by all means read up on the other reviews (if there are any) and then make up your mind about it.
- DirectorJacques TatiStarsJacques TatiJean-Pierre ZolaAdrienne ServantieMonsieur Hulot visits the technology-driven world of his sister, brother-in-law, and nephew, but he can't quite fit into the surroundings.uncle knows best... hilarious french comedy from the master, a little borderline film on the list.
- DirectorRitwik GhatakStarsParam Bhattaraka LahiriPadmadeviGyanesh MukherjeeA misbehaving boy who runs away from his village and goes to Calcutta.this film is in youtube without any subs. i may give it a glimpse but it does not belong to my immediate watching list.
- DirectorToma JanicStarsSeverin BijelicMihajlo ViktorovicMilan AjvazReform school teacher tries to carry his class to the right path by teaching them diving.this old classic is in youtube but curb your enthusiasm: there are no subs whatsoever to be found anywhere. either you skip it (1) or watch it without subs (2) (of course if you understand the original language there is no problem) which is like enjoying a meal without eating it. i try the second manner of an approach some day and see where i will end up with that.
so i did and what happened: what a nice little film from yougoslavia (bosnia). i watched it without subs and was impressed by its warm and human treatment of the story though i did not get the most of it - a pity. recommended anyway. - DirectorKon IchikawaStarsRaizô IchikawaGanjirô NakamuraTatsuya NakadaiGoichi Mizoguchi, an aspiring Buddhist monk who became involved in the temple that was owned by his father, through a series of flashbacks, framed as a police interrogation, Mizoguchi unravels the story of his obsession with the temple beginning with his childhood.ichikawa´s interpretation of yukio mishima novel is fascinating even striking in its visual style but this is no kids cinema.
- DirectorYasujirô OzuStarsKeiji SadaYoshiko KugaChishû RyûTwo boys begin a silence strike to press their parents into buying them a television set.a sort of a remake of ozu´s 1932 film "I was born but"... the boys rebel and crank to get a TV :) a wonderful look into japanese family life in the late 1950s. FARTING as bodily function has seldom been treated so casually as in this film...
- DirectorNagisa ÔshimaStarsFumio WatanabeYuki TominagaKakuko ChinoA young man runs a scam selling pigeons that always return to his home. A rich girl takes an interest in him and tries to help him find a good job.oshima´s first film already shows his personal style. well worth checking out if you happen to come across it.
- DirectorFrançois VilliersStarsPierre DuxDany SavalJacques PerrinIn 1943, a group of high school students decide to take action against the Nazi occupying forces. Showing courage and imagination, they manage to blow up the Kommandantur and to release hostages. But after the killing of a German soldier the Nazi police apparatus strikes back. The young resisters are arrested and two of them are condemned to death.
- DirectorBernhard WickiStarsVolker BohnetFritz WepperMichael HinzIn 1945, Germany is being overrun, and nobody is left to fight but teenagers.16-year-old german boys and cruelly abrupted childhood in the last days of the ww2. this critique of futile and hollow military heroism has no happy end.
- DirectorFrançois TruffautStarsJean-Pierre LéaudAlbert RémyClaire MaurierA young boy, left without attention, delves into a life of petty crime.one of the first films of the french new wave and still as refreshing as it was in 1959; jean-pierre léaud is simply amazing.
- DirectorKarel ReiszStarsJon RollasonTony BensonAdrian HardingSeminal piece of documentary film by New Wave director Karel Reisz follows the daily activites of members of the Lambeth Youth club in late 1950's London.a fresh document and a different view about working-class youth in the late 1950s. you cannot get any closer to the authentic mood of the day and no doubt this work also inspired reisz to do his "saturday night and sunday morning" (1960). recommended.
- DirectorKaneto ShindôStarsNobuko OtowaTaiji TonoyamaShinji TanakaA family of four are the sole inhabitants of a small island where they struggle each day to irrigate their crops.this film will take your breath away, a masterpiece in world cinema and young viewers may be impressed simply because of its sheer aesthetic beauty
- DirectorGeorgiy DaneliyaIgor TalankinStarsBoris BarkhatovSergey BondarchukIrina SkobtsevaThe mother of a 5 years old Seryozha remarries. This man becomes a friend and a confident, an adult who see Seryozha not as a child, but as a person.a soviet and also a world cinema classic and therefore highly recommended. watch it without prejudice, it is a sad and sensitive story.
- DirectorGabriel AxelStarsSteen FlensmarkPer GecklerJohannes Meyerthis film is in youtube without any subs. i may give it a glimpse but it does not belong to my immediate watching list.
- DirectorMikio NaruseStarsNobuko OtowaJun FujimakiKamatari FujiwaraSingle mum (father of child dead) from the country with 6th grade boy comes to Tokyo, leaves the boy to live with his uncle's family - wife, male, female teens, run a struggling greengrocer - and lives/ works in local inn. He gets bullied/ fights with local boys, goes to the baths, plays basketball, is befriended by his male cousin and becomes friendly with grade 4 girl who's the daughter of the innkeeper, who employs his mum and is the longterm mistress of a businessman from another town, who's the girl's father and who brings her half sister and brother to meet her but they're mean to her. Meanwhile the boy's mother gets friendly with one of the inn's clients and chucks her job for a trip or something more permanent with him. The young girl takes him shopping, and wants the boy to live with her and her mother, but mother and father refuse so the two kids go to a seaside where he sprains his ankle and they're late back even though the police get them and they're in trouble. The boy loses his beetle and tries to get another for the girl for a school project but when he does, she's moved house with her mother at the urging of her father. Clear? It's better in the film.naruse made movies for adult audience but this is a rare exception. i have not watched it but seems to be a charming story and suitable for general audience and therefore i dare to recommend it without personally seeing it.
- i watched this on a rainy summer sunday recently and it was a bittersweet treat and thus quintessential naruse: a sad and uncompromising story on human ontological loneliness at any age and therefore recommended.
- DirectorJirí KrejcíkStarsFrantisek SmolíkJana BrejchováIvan MistríkThe story of High school in Czechia (then Protectorate Bohemia and Moravia) during occupation by Nazi Germany, where three students are arrested by Gestapo.i have taken all the available measures to watch this film, to no avail (yet). so i cannot give any personal comment or recommendation but read up on the other reviews.
- DirectorLászló RanódyStarsFerenc BessenyeiJózsef BihariTibor Bitskeysome sort of a hungarian "tom browns school days" though bullying is not the issue here at all, other hardships in the life of a young and exceptionally intelligent school boy at the private boarding school in the 1890s are the main concern here. a forgotten film these days in hungary i guess but it is actually quite a good film for children and still relevant!
- DirectorKarel KachynaStarsMichal KoblicMarienka MagdolenovaVladimír HlavatýA young Czech boy is freed from a concentration camp and ends up working for the army against the Germans.despite my earnest serious sincere and solemn aims and efforts i have not [yet] been able to check out and watch this film to comment it personally. it is more or less some sort of a pity or is it?
- DirectorFrantisek VlácilStarsKaterina IrmanovováKarel SmyczekVjaceslav IrmanovA poetic film about a dove getting lost on its way to Prague getting shot down by a paralyzed boy. An artist who finds the dove becomes friends with the boy. Together they take care of it bringing it back to recovery.experimental film making is not my cup of tea so i skip this.
- DirectorFons RademakersStarsReitze van der LindenMarie-Louise VidecEllen VogelA young boy coming into puberty is resentful of his mother's budding romance with the best friend of her late husband, and is torn and confused about his emerging feelings for Toni, a young girl in his neighborhood. His fascination with an antique Oriental knife leads him to steal it and he uses it to try to impress Toni while at the same time trying to break up his mother's relationhip."het mes or the knife" has 13-year-old thomas who must confront the arousing sexuality at the same time when his mother is having a new man in her life. reitze van der linden gives his first and last performance here. a dutch classic like "ciske the rat" and therefore gets my recommendation.
- DirectorErmanno OlmiStarsSandro PanseriLoredana DettoCorrado AprileBursting with big dreams and plans, an Italian teen goes to Milan to work in a big impersonal corporate office, where he becomes disillusioned and drained of all his individualism.a young man meets the world in his first job; early 60s atmosphere is here nicely represented!
- DirectorAndrei TarkovskyStarsIgor FomchenkoVladimir ZamanskiyNatalya ArkhangelskayaSeven-year-old Sasha practices violin every day to satisfy the ambition of his parents. Already withdrawn as a result of his routines, Sasha quickly regains confidence when he accidentally meets and befriends worker Sergei, who works on a steamroller in their upscale Moscow neighborhood.tarkovskis debut is a little gem.
- DirectorAndrei TarkovskyEduard AbalovStarsNikolay BurlyaevValentin ZubkovEvgeniy ZharikovDuring WWII, Soviet orphan Ivan Bondarev strikes up a friendship with three sympathetic Soviet officers while working as a scout behind the German lines.a boy and the absurdity of war, an uncompromising story about ww2 in the soviet union.
- DirectorStanislaw RózewiczStarsHenryk HryniewiczBeata BarszczewskaAndrzej BanaszewskiThree episodes dealing with the harsh situation of children at the time of war. They stay at orphanages, wait for their parents to come back, help the soldiers, hide in the forests and do their best to survive.harsh and uncompromising stories about polish children at war. it is a three-episode film, two of them has a little boy as a central character, in the third one there is a girl. all these stories are very distressing and there are no closures to the bleak stories which makes the film even more disturbing and unsettling. definitely not any disney sunshine with pink clouds here but you can watch it with your older children (over 12) and discuss with them about the eternal absurdity of war and children and their desperate situation occurring now in afghanistan, jemen, iraq, libya, syria... recommended.
- DirectorMikko NiskanenStarsPentti TarkiainenVesa-Matti LoiriUti SaurioA group of mischievous Finnish boys experience the ups and downs of life during World War 2.a finnish classic about the school boys and their adventures in a northern town during the ww2. the ending here is emotionally devastating and has remained a part of the collective national cinematic memory ever since.
- DirectorTony RichardsonStarsMichael RedgraveTom CourtenayAvis BunnageA young thief takes up long-distance running when he is sent to a borstal.this fresh film is a fine example of the british new wave and "angry young men" movies though this one has some nice humour, too. very british indeed.
- DirectorYves RobertStarsJacques DufilhoYvette EtiévantMichel GalabruThe school boys of two villages in France are fighting. Their trophy are the buttons they will snatch from the enemy. This fight will bring those kids to everlasting friendship...eventually.the original french "war of buttons"; remade several times. innocent fun? or the boys will be boys... whatever the reasons the film was a great success in the 60s. i watched it when i was 6 years old and i still remember it!
- DirectorAlexander MackendrickStarsEdward G. RobinsonFergus McClellandConstance CummingsTen year old Sammy travels 4500 miles on his own from the Suez Canal to Durban, South Africa.a looooooooooooooooooong adventure.
- DirectorPeter BrookStarsJames AubreyTom ChapinHugh EdwardsSchoolboys marooned on a Pacific island create their own savage civilization.remade in 1990; a british classic but needs some adult discussion.
- DirectorNelson Pereira dos SantosStarsÁtila IórioMaria RibeiroOrlando MacedoA poor family in the Northeast of Brazil (Fabiano, the father; Sinhá Vitória, the mother; their 2 children and a dog called Baleia) wander about the barren land searching for a better place to live, with food and work. But the drought and misery destroy their hopes.a brazilian classic, recommended.
- DirectorPaulo RochaStarsRui GomesIsabel RuthRuy Furtado19-year-old Julio has just left the provinces to settle down in the outskirts of Lisbon. He lives in a poor area with his uncle Afonso and starts working as an apprentice shoemaker. At the shop he gets to know Ilda, a young housemaid and regular customer. Ilda is pretty, joyful, and modern, and Julio falls for her. The two young people, although very different from each other, embark on an idyll.despite my earnest serious sincere and solemn aims and efforts i have not [yet] been able to check out and watch this film to comment it personally. it is more or less some sort of a pity, i guess.
- DirectorKon IchikawaStarsYûjirô IshiharaMasayuki MoriKinuyo TanakaKenichi Horie is determined to challenge his family, the law and the nature crossing the Pacific to America in a small sailboat. Despite his careful planning many unforeseen events will test his determination.i finally managed to watch it and it turned out to be a nice adventure film. nothing really dramatic happens on that boat sailing across the sea but it is still oddly entertaining and interesting. the young man against the sea. perhaps not the very best film in ichikawa´s production (as alexander jacoby claims in his critical handbook of japanese film directors) but one of the better ones, anyway.
- DirectorVincente MinnelliStarsGlenn FordRon HowardShirley JonesEddie thinks it is time for his father to remarry. However, in his opinion his father's taste in women leaves much to be desired. He believes the girl next door would be a far better choice...a light comedy from the early 1960s, nothing more and nothing less... young ron howard is quite cute(sy?) here.
- DirectorIlya FrezStarsAleksei ZagorskyOlga LysenkoVladimir Treshchalovthis film is in youtube without subs. despite that deplorable and unsurmountable fact i watched it, and it turned out to be most charming and delightful childrens film. the late soviet union may have had its serious faults and shortcomings but one thing the russians did well in the past was the production of good animations and high-quality cinema for the kids and this film - like almost all the soviet flms in the list - is one of them.
- DirectorMate ReljaStarsMarinko CosicZlatko KovacicZoran ReljaIn the last days of World War II, two children from Yugoslavia manage to escape a German concentration camp. They begin a long and dangerous journey home.the story is touching and the visual style of the film is sometimes almost neorealistic. what a pity there are no subs available. no disney stuff here is safe to say though the story is not appallingly cruel; there is a war going on so it is not a sunny sunday picnic with strawberries and whipped cream, either. open end leaves the destiny of two little homeless boys obscure - something an average family film would never dare to do.