Description
Tree of Knowledge 1981
Kundskabens træ (original title)
1h 50min | Drama | 13 November 1981 (Denmark)
Storyline:
As a group of Danish children pass into adolescence, gradually the most popular girl becomes an outcast, for trivial reasons that she never understands.
User review:
This film is the most shrewd and insightful film about puberty I have ever seen – and one of the best films I have ever seen period. It follows a group of Aarhus schoolchildren from the age of 13-15 in 1958-60. The film notices all the small details, the internal power struggles and the growing sexuality of young teens. Much like Heavenly Creatures the film shows the “wonders” of growing up as both beautiful and frightful at the same time. Anyone regardless of nationality can recognise the conflicts and small dramas depicted here. After seeing it I felt as if Malmros had had a crystal ball and looked into the youth of everyone on the planet. Despite the fact that it is filmed in a hyper realistic, almost documentary, style, Malmros manages to fill add dramatic effects through music and background effects to effectively heighten the drama. The last ten minutes of the film builds up tension to the (completely unpredictable, but inevitable) climax and the striking power of the movie’s ending sticks with you for hours after the film is over. I truly hope some distributor picks this up for a DVD release internationally – it is too big a masterpiece to be hidden away in Denmark (check out the external reviews if you want more proof)
Director: Nils Malmros
Writers: Nils Malmros, Frederick Cryer (as Fred. Cryer)
Stars: Eva Gram Schjoldager, Jan Johansen, Line Arlien-Søborg
Country: Denmark
Language: Danish
Release Date: November 1982 (USA)
Also Known As: Baum der Erkenntnis
Filming Locations: Århus Katedralskole, Århus, Jylland, Denmark
René (verified owner) –
The story is set somewhere in the late 1950s. It is a one-dimensional event, namely: all boys choose their own girl (not vice versa, at most a rejection). In that sense it is a rigid, conventional history that seems to fit very well with that time. This freedom of choice (choice of partner) seems to have increased somewhat in the present time, but that only applies to certain cultures. It is a fairly average film in terms of viewing pleasure. Not bad, but also no cinematic highlights.
Ronald Gaskin (verified owner) –
Good film
Steve (verified owner) –
Anonymous (verified owner) –
Bruce P. (verified owner) –