Benjamin, the Dove 1995 | Boys in movies [BiM]

Benjamin, the Dove (1995)

– Benjamin, the Dove 1995
– Benjamín dúfa (original title)
– 1h 28 min. | Drama, Family | 9 November 1995 (Iceland)

Storyline:

Benjamin dufa is movie about four friends. They love knights and dream to be knights when they grow up. The friends get in trouble with bullies and one of them (Baldur) gets in serious trouble with the bullies and something really sad happens to him.

User review:

Benjamin is European movie, but more like those made in middle Europe. It may be even an Icelandic version of Hungarian novel A Pál utcai fiúk, aka The Boys of Paul Street (an obligatory reading for many European school kids and twice adapted to movies – great ’69 version), the same way as West Side Story is American Version of Romeo And Juliet. You have a group of 10-12 y.o. boys, very realistic characters none of them being a real hero, expressing different positive and negative emotions and characteristics, having their own special playing-hiding place (where they should not be allowed to come, but – even that is similar to Molnár’s novel – it’s a storage keeper who permits it) and finally have to fight against enemy group with a tragic end.

Betrayal and loyalty, friendship and bullying, encouraging and neglecting, violence and reconciliation. Too much for one movie? It could sound like a morality and homily teaching kids how to behave good… and, maybe, in the second (middle) part it comes close to that, with a too optimistic and idealistic story about helping one person and everybody participating in this action; but watching the movie you don’t have that homily feeling – Benjamin Dúfa in fact isn’t a children movie at all, it is more a movie about the children that can be watched by everyone – including children.

Director: Gísli Snær Erlingsson
Writer: Friðrik Erlingsson
Stars: Sturla Sighvatsson, Gunnar Cauthery, Sigfús Sturluson
Countries of origin: Iceland, Sweden, Germany
Language: Icelandic
Also known as: Benjamin Duva.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0115655/