My Life As A Dog [DVD] [1985]

The story is set in Sweden in what appears to be the late 1950s or early 1960s. The central character is Ingmar, who is a boy of about 12 or 13 years of age. His mother is ill in some unspecified way, and seems to be deteriorating. We presume that the father is either dead or long gone. His brother is a sullen, unsympathetic character, although there is a hint that his demeanour is a defence mechanism in the face of what is an uncertain future. Ingmar dotes on a dog called Sikan. His mother tells him that he is to travel to a country village to visit his uncle and aunt, to allow her to recuperate. Ingmar is understandably perturbed by this development but has no option in the matter. So we have the heart wrenching themes of impending tragedy and childhood powerlessness established very early on in the film. A little bleak, to say the least.

However, his relatives are extremely welcoming people and his uncle,it transpires, has a wonderful childlike, surreal imagination and sense of humour. His description at the dinner table of how sausages are made is truly bizarre and provided the first spine tingling moment! The film unfolds in little episodes which delight with the way in which they depict adolescent awkwardness - the trials of attending a new school, making new friends and trying to fit in; the agonising awkwardness of the adolescent crush. The detail is wonderful. One scene depicting the obligatory tunelessness of a school recorder ensemble triggered vivid flashbacks to my own childhood. And that's the beauty of it. The themes are universal. I went to school in Nottingham and North Wales in the 1970s. A world away from Ingmar. And yet I identified with every theme explored in this film.

The film is littered with weird and wonderful characters - one local is something of a home grown Houdini , constantly setting up outlandish amateur feats of death defying physical prowess such as tightrope walking and swimming under ice. When word arrives that his impromptu shows are about to start, the whole village downs tools and congregates to gasp at his near-disastrous exploits, and this sense of community lends the film a nostalgic (but never syrupy)glow. Also the film is beautifully enhanced by Ingmar's intermittent voiceover. Always delivered against a still backdrop of a magical starlit sky, Ingmar muses (off camera and presumably as he is drifting off to sleep) on various events such as the fate of Laika, the first dog in space. These moments provide him and the viewer with little pockets of serenity amongst the turmoil of his "daylife". This adds to the sense of childlike wonder. Long before the credits rolled I knew that this was a film that i would re-visit again and again. It is achingly funny and heartbreaking by turns. Riddled with the frailty and absurdity of life. Hold on! I've just changed my mind. Make that Top 5!

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The one criticism that might be levelled at this film is the occassional teetering on the edge of an overdone sentimentality but overall it is easy to forgive a lot given the overall result. My Life As A Dog has a universal appeal to anyone who had a childhood. It is an absolute must see.And dont be put off by it being Swedish and subtitled....it matters not a jot.

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