Produced in 1993, "Swing Kids" is set in pre-World War II Germany and stars Christian Bale and Kenneth Branagh. During the years just before the war started, American Swing music and the people who listened and danced to it, were forced to go underground with their love for Swing dancing. Swing clubs were situated in unlikely spots, and when Nazis would come near the establishment, all the musicians and dancers would quickly switch to traditional German dances such as the Polka.
The movie features one particular group of young men who love Swing dancing, and their inevitable confrontation with the Nazi movement. One of the young men is captured during a botched robbery attempt for a radio and is sent to the Nazi training camp. His friend joins shortly afterwards so that he is not alone in training. The fight to remain friends for this entire group of men proves challenging as they are one-by-one acclimated to Nazi thought processes. Additionally, the struggle to continue to enjoy American Swing music and Swing dancing, while also being constantly brainwashed by the Nazi training system, leaves the audience wondering if Swing dancing is able to transcend military propaganda that is directly against American ways.
This movie has some of the best Lindy-hop Swing scenes ever made and the soundtrack is equally full of really great Swing music. For those who love Swing dancing, "Swing Kids" would make a great gift idea.
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