“My Life as a Dog” is one of the greatest adolescent films ever created in Scandinavian Sweden that I hope will continue to be “rediscovered” forever.

"Sex and death" embedded in the pastoral world of the work

And the charming heroine who becomes an important encounter for Ingmar is Saga (Melinda Kinnaman). At first glance, he appears to be a handsome and active boy who enjoys soccer and boxing. However, she is actually a girl and is concerned about her breasts starting to swell. It's time for secondary sexual characteristics to begin to develop, and for the body and mind to take a step forward from an undifferentiated state. Ingmar's heart flutters at every turn as Saga-chan acts defenseless and bewildered by her own inevitable changes.

I wish these days would last forever. However, on the other hand, the cruel reality is steadily moving forward. My mom passed away before I knew it. And my dog ​​Shikkan too.

The basic tone of this film is the sense of loss that a boy faces as his first trial, and overcoming it becomes the theme and challenge. Also, compared to typical Japanese juvenile works, there are far more sexual elements and depictions. Sweden is famous for being an advanced country in terms of sexual education starting from an early age, but its bright and easy-going attitude gives the impression of a mature country.

In any case, it cannot be overlooked that "sex" and "death" are important spices in the nostalgic, fresh, idyllic world of the work. I think that's why it has gained universality as a gem of a work with depth, rather than just being pretty on the surface.

This Scandinavian film, "My Life as a Dog," was well-received around the world at the time, winning the Best Foreign Film award at the 45th Golden Globe Awards. It was also nominated for Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay at the 60th Academy Awards. Although it ultimately missed out on winning (Bernardo Bertolucci's "The Last The Last Emperor " won both categories), Lasse Hallström's name became known around the world.

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Following this film, Hallström made The Noisy Kids and The Noisy Village (both in 1986), poetic adaptations of Astrid Lindgren's children's books, in his native Sweden, and was invited to Hollywood. His first film, Once Around (1991), was mediocre, but his next masterpiece was What's Eating What's Eating Gilbert Grape (1993), starring young Johnny Depp and Leonardo DiCaprio as brothers. This film also portrays rural life (set in Endora, Iowa) in a poetic way, while gently embracing all the difficulties of life, such as death, difficulty in living, disabilities, and prejudice, with an acoustic touch.

DiCaprio, then 19, was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. Becky, a very short and beautiful girl played by Juliette Lewis, is a wonderful heroine who has the image of being an extension of Saga-chan.

Even now, when I think back, I think Lasse Hallström was a godsend during this transitional period when he moved from Sweden to Hollywood. He left us with a succession of masterpieces that will become lifelong treasures. If you know Hallström's name from the recent "dog movies," I highly recommend you experience the true essence of this master director in "My Life as a Dog."

Text: Naoto Mori

Film critic, writer. Born in Wakayama in 1971. He is the author of ``Cinema Garage: Children in the Ruins'' (Film Art Publishing), and edited ``Movies of the Zero Years+'' (Kawade Shobo Shinsha), among others. He regularly writes for magazines such as Weekly Bunshun, Asahi Shimbun, TV Bros., Men's Nonno, Kinema Junpo, Eiga Hiho, and Cinema Today.

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