Rolle (Roland) is not a very happy boy. He does not get along with his older brother, Bertil, who aspires to be a professional boxer and occasionally uses Rolle as a punching bag, literally. Rolle's socialist father suffers from a painful back and is short-tempered. Rolle's parents are Russian emigrants, and his mother is Jewish, making him a Jew too. His teacher is anti-Semitic and vindictive; their feeling of mutual dislike is palpable. In the eyes of the Stockholm establishment, Rolle and his family are outsiders, and to make matters worse, socialists and Jewish. Rolle is a bit of a dreamer; what if they had stayed in Russia and never moved to Sweden, life surely would have been better?
Rolle has one burning desire; he would love to have a bicycle. When the opportunity arises to buy a second hand one, he jumps. But where to get the money from? There is however a way, enterprising Rolle realizes. He could make use of the new invention, condoms, to earn some money. His socialist and progressive mother has a stash of condoms from which she supplies other women. She surely won't notice a few gone missing. But he has to be careful; condoms are illegal in 1920s Sweden. Rolle is a resourceful lad, but unfortunately his first attempt to make money fails when his mother punctures his display of gas-filled condom- balloons (!), which were bought quite briskly by the other kids before his mother struck. His second effort was even better; he made slingshots, using condoms as slingshot elastic bands; these proved to be particularly popular among the kids. He also repainted and repaired bicycles; his enterprises were going well. If only Rolle's life were that simple The bicycles he repaired and painted were stolen, but poor Rolle was unaware of this. Fate would once again take aim at Rolle.
This is a wonderful coming-of-age film, which reminds me of the mesmerizing, but thematically different 'My Life as a Dog' by director Lasse Hallström. 'The Slingshot' has several strong points: The set and costumes are so real, within minutes the viewer gets transported to 1920s Stockholm with its authentic cars, trams and shops. Strong performances by Jespar Salen who plays Rolle and Stellen Sarsgård, Rolle's father, add to the film's credibility. Imaginative cinematography, soundtrack and a lively script make watching this film a memorable experience. I score 'The Slingshot' an excellent 8.5/10.
Rolle has one burning desire; he would love to have a bicycle. When the opportunity arises to buy a second hand one, he jumps. But where to get the money from? There is however a way, enterprising Rolle realizes. He could make use of the new invention, condoms, to earn some money. His socialist and progressive mother has a stash of condoms from which she supplies other women. She surely won't notice a few gone missing. But he has to be careful; condoms are illegal in 1920s Sweden. Rolle is a resourceful lad, but unfortunately his first attempt to make money fails when his mother punctures his display of gas-filled condom- balloons (!), which were bought quite briskly by the other kids before his mother struck. His second effort was even better; he made slingshots, using condoms as slingshot elastic bands; these proved to be particularly popular among the kids. He also repainted and repaired bicycles; his enterprises were going well. If only Rolle's life were that simple The bicycles he repaired and painted were stolen, but poor Rolle was unaware of this. Fate would once again take aim at Rolle.
This is a wonderful coming-of-age film, which reminds me of the mesmerizing, but thematically different 'My Life as a Dog' by director Lasse Hallström. 'The Slingshot' has several strong points: The set and costumes are so real, within minutes the viewer gets transported to 1920s Stockholm with its authentic cars, trams and shops. Strong performances by Jespar Salen who plays Rolle and Stellen Sarsgård, Rolle's father, add to the film's credibility. Imaginative cinematography, soundtrack and a lively script make watching this film a memorable experience. I score 'The Slingshot' an excellent 8.5/10.