Taglines: They fought for the freedom that bound them together.
Swing Kids movie storyline. In 1939 Hamburg, Germany, a group of teenagers express their rebellion against Adolph Hitler’s Nazi regime through their affection for American swing music, British fashion, and Harlem slang. American and British big-band jazz records are among those banned by the Fuhrer, but the young men secretly get together with their friends to listen and dance to the music.
As their escapades become increasingly bold, they each get into trouble with the authorities. Robert Sean Leonard stars as Peter, who ends up being forced — by a prank — into having to join the Hitler Youth with his friend Thomas (Christian Bale). They are both engineering students at the university, where Thomas’ father was taken away for defending his Jewish colleagues. With Arvid (Frank Whaley), they pretend to be Nazi supporters by day while rebelling with the swing music by night. Kenneth Branagh, in an uncredited appearance, is a glib Nazi Gestapo chief who makes matters more difficult.
Each of the boys must choose among family, safety, friendship, and freedom as politics impinges on their youthful exuberance, and the Nazis set them against one another. The movie was shot in Prague, directed by Thomas Carter from a script by Jonathan Marc Feldman, and released by Disney. Barbara Hershey appears as Peter’s mother.
Swing Kids is a 1993 American drama directed by Thomas Carter, and stars Christian Bale, Robert Sean Leonard and Frank Whaley. In pre-World War II Germany, two high school students, Peter Müller and Thomas Berger, attempt to be swing kids by night and Hitler Youth by day, a decision that acutely impacts their friends and families. The film received mixed to negative reviews.
Swing Kids (1993)
Directed by: Thomas Carter
Starring: Robert Sean Leonard, Christian Bale, Frank Whaley, Barbara Hershey, Tushka Bergen, Julia Stemberger, Jayce Bartok, Noah Wyle, Jessica Hynes
Screenplay by: Jonathan Marc Feldman
Production Design by: Allan Cameron
Cinematography by: Jerzy Zielinski
Film Editing by: Michael R. Miller
Costume Design by: Jenny Beavan
Set Decoration by: Ros Shingleton
Art Direction by: Tony Reading, Steve Spence
Music by: James Horner
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for violence and some language.
Distributed by: Buena Vista Pictures
Release Date: March 5, 1993
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