'Teenage' is, if anything, even more of a tour de force, mapping the birth and development of the teenager from the trailblazing soirées of England's 'bright young things' to the end of the Second World War. Savage argues that the first teenagers were a result of the First World War, long before the rock and roll/skiffle years that are generally held to be teenage year zero.What's fascinating about Wolf's elegant documentary is the way it documents the period between the two Great Wars. This is as much a film about the rise of the Nazi party as it is about USand UK subcultures. There's some fascinating stuff about the Nazi's boy scout-inspired 'Hitler Youth' and those that opposed them in Germany - based around the swing movement. There's something rather wonderful about those rebellious German youths, who, much against the grain, wore Yankee and UK styles, listened to Duke Ellington and met in secret to dance. Needless to say many of them were killed by the Gestapo.
My girlfriend pointed out that in France many argue that Rimbaud was the first 'teenager' and that was in the 1860s. Poet, decadent, arms dealer. Sounds like a fairly typical teenager. But one man doesn't make a movement.
She also reminded me of the rather wonderful Zazous in France during the Second World War. Dandies and rebels, they dressed sharp and danced to swing during the height of the occupation. Sporting the star of David on their arms in protest against the Nazis. Needless to say, they were murdered too.But back to 'Teenage'. I learned a good deal about the first jazz clubs in London and the experience of black American troops in Europe as opposed to their treatment at home. And a rather touching section about a black boy scout in America trying to deal with the bullying and racism of the times.
Teenage runs from Jan 27th to Feb 6th at the BFI. Visit them here for more details.
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