My Life as a Dog based on the novel by Reidar
Jonsson
This is an outstanding
work that has won
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The Golden Globe for Best Motion
Picture in a Foreign Language
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It was also nominated for Oscars,
BAFTAs and other prestigious awards, many of which it has won
It is the
mesmerizing story of a Swedish boy called Ingemar, who is about eight years old
when he has to move from home.
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This is a formidable tale of
Resilience
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Coping with Adversity
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Growing and reaching maturity at a
tender age
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It is also a narrative about
comparing with others in a positive sense;
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The hero keeps saying it could have
been worse
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One of the characters he compares
with is: Laika
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That poor dog had been sent into
space, but without enough food to survive
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Ingemar thinks it could have been
worse- take the case of Laika
He also
thinks of other people who have had to suffer a lot, even more than himself and
maybe his mother.
The only
parent that is at home with Ingemar and his brother is really ill and cannot
cope with the challenges presented by two boys.
This has a
tremendous impact on the young Ingemar, who feels rejected and even wonders
about his guilt:
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Tell me I did not kill her
Given the
health of their mother, Ingemar and his brother have to leave their home and
their dog is taken to a kennel.
I am not
sure what happens to the poor, gentle bitch, but I fear the worst.
-
“In fact, I've been kinda lucky. I
mean, compared to others. You have to compare, so you can get a little distance
from things. Like Laika. She really must have seen things in perspective. It's
important to keep a certain distance. I think about that guy who tried to set a
world record for jumping over buses with a motorcycle. He lined up 31 buses. If
he'd left it at 30, maybe he would have survived.”
Throughout,
Ingemar is mostly positive, as it is clear from the quote above and he is
thinking of other examples of men and women who had a worse luck.
There is
the example of a missionary who went to Africa to try and spread the word of
God and was killed in her church.
The father
of the hero is supposed to be packing bananas on the same continent and his son
defends him:
-
Who would take care of bananas if he
would be here with me?
When he
moves to a small town, there are accidents and funny events that take place,
involving colorful characters.
There is a
very sick neighbor, who cannot abandon his bed and who wants Ingemar to read
for him some texts…
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But these texts are from a…magazine
with underwear for women!!
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I thought this funny…I am not sure
if it would be considered perverted, for the messages were rather innocent
I was
thinking though that at times the effort of the hero and other child actors involved
in this and other films is tremendous:
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Perhaps more than it is good for
them?
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Even if we take into account all the
measures to keep them shielded
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I was thinking especially of First
They Killed my Father, but also My Life as a Dog in some instances
When characters
fight, yes, there is a pretense and they mostly mimic punches and hits, but it
is still a pretense that they fight each other.
I am
getting too liberal probably.
It was just
a thought.
And the
film is phenomenal!!
Sculpture
Boxing
Neighbor with
magazines about underwear
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