Rubber Tarzan
(aka GUMMI-TARZAN)
With: Alex Svanbjerg (Ivan Olsen), Otto Brandenburg (Ole, the crane driver), Peter Schrøder (Ivan's father), Susanne Heinrich (Ivan's mother), Søren Søgren (Tarzan)
English-Language Version:
Plot Summary: Ivan is a very lonely 8 year boy who is bullied almost every day in school. Even his father taunts him. Ivan meets a man who teaches him the importance of self-esteem.
***
Against a bleak German industrial landscape comes the bittersweet tale of young boy Ivan, who is misunderstood by everyone. The local leather-punk bullies beat him up and the teachers berate him.
What's worse, Ivan's father worships Tarzan and ignores his one son, so he's in a rough place.
Ivan succesfully represses his suffering, so everyone thinks he's just a lazy wimp. But Ivan has a rich inner life: he likes bugs and kites. He also seems to be illiterate. He looks at his spelling bee and the letters dance around like a hallucination.
Eventually, Ivan finds a sorely-needed mnale role model, a worker on the docks, who accepts him as he is, and teaches him the importance of imagination.
Ivan uses his new-found gift, and dreams he is omnipotent. Soon, Ivan's Tarzan poster comes to life, to teach him the importance of inner strength over idiot brawn.
A most unusual fantasy, not without its charm.
Video/DVD availability: VHS (Embassy Home Video, oop)
(1981, Denmark) color 89 minutes
Metronome Productions
Story: Ole Lund Kirkegaard (from his novel)
Screenplay: Hans Hansen, Søren Kragh-Jacobsen
Music: Kenneth Knudsen
Cinematography: Dan Laustsen
Produced by Bent Fabricius-Bjerre, Janne Find
Directed by Søren Kragh-Jacobsen
(circa 1984) Janus Films / Embassy Pictures 75 minutes