I never wrote a review before,but this movie demands it.This is one of those rare movies that had a truly stunning effect on me and i couldn't get it out of my head for days.What makes this movie an excellent one is the brilliant performance of the two lead actors, and the ability of the director to depict such a sensitive subject with true artistry, without making it seem exaggerated in any way. The director manages to illustrate the highly unusual love story that makes the central theme of the movie with much tenderness, although we are talking about the relationship of two men coming from a violent and cruel environment.
The two protagonists, Jimmy and Lars meet when the latter joins a neo-nazi group,of which Jimmy has been and old member,pretty high in the hierarchy. When Jimmy unwillingly becomes Lars' tutor, the two begin to form a bond that slowly develops into love and eventually turns into a passionate love affair.The chemistry of the two actors is amazing, making their scenes, especially the intimate ones, look very natural and believable. Added to this is their subtle body language, which in many cases becomes a substitute for dialog, managing to express much more than words. Despite the numerous tender moments, this is far from being an idyllic romance. The whole atmosphere of the movie is quite tensioned, which I actually liked, because it was obvious that their illicit relationship sooner or later will be discovered, and the members of the "Arian Brotherhood" won't be exactly thrilled about it.
Although basically a love story, this movie is about so much more. The exceptional directing skills of Nicolo Donato managed to make it also into a story about hypocrisy, betrayal,revenge, and also a meditation over the multiple meaning of the term "brotherhood": we have the brotherhood between the members of the neo-nazi group, who betrayed one of them without hesitation when he broke the rules,also betraying them in his own way;we also have the literal brotherhood of Patrick and Jimmy: while Jimmy hesitates between his "brotherly" obligations as a member of the neo-nazi group and sibling of Patrick, and his lover, Patrick also has his own little drama, being torn between the option of betraying his brother for the sake of the group, or keeping his mouth shut for the sake of his brother. We can also consider a sexual "brotherhood" between the two protagonists, who eventually has given up on everything for each other. As we expect, their romance ends with tragedy, but not all hope is crushed, as we are being left with a somehow optimistic view,given by Patrick's last words.
The two protagonists, Jimmy and Lars meet when the latter joins a neo-nazi group,of which Jimmy has been and old member,pretty high in the hierarchy. When Jimmy unwillingly becomes Lars' tutor, the two begin to form a bond that slowly develops into love and eventually turns into a passionate love affair.The chemistry of the two actors is amazing, making their scenes, especially the intimate ones, look very natural and believable. Added to this is their subtle body language, which in many cases becomes a substitute for dialog, managing to express much more than words. Despite the numerous tender moments, this is far from being an idyllic romance. The whole atmosphere of the movie is quite tensioned, which I actually liked, because it was obvious that their illicit relationship sooner or later will be discovered, and the members of the "Arian Brotherhood" won't be exactly thrilled about it.
Although basically a love story, this movie is about so much more. The exceptional directing skills of Nicolo Donato managed to make it also into a story about hypocrisy, betrayal,revenge, and also a meditation over the multiple meaning of the term "brotherhood": we have the brotherhood between the members of the neo-nazi group, who betrayed one of them without hesitation when he broke the rules,also betraying them in his own way;we also have the literal brotherhood of Patrick and Jimmy: while Jimmy hesitates between his "brotherly" obligations as a member of the neo-nazi group and sibling of Patrick, and his lover, Patrick also has his own little drama, being torn between the option of betraying his brother for the sake of the group, or keeping his mouth shut for the sake of his brother. We can also consider a sexual "brotherhood" between the two protagonists, who eventually has given up on everything for each other. As we expect, their romance ends with tragedy, but not all hope is crushed, as we are being left with a somehow optimistic view,given by Patrick's last words.