Figure 1.--This German film is based on a Swedish children's book. We notice some charming books by "Astrid Lindgren". One book is entitled Nils Karlsson Pyssling (1956).

This German film is based on a Swedish children's book. We notice some charming books by Astrid Lindgren. One book is entitled Nils Karlsson Pyssling (1956). I'm not sure how that translates. The film has been marketed in English as "Simon Small". Nils Karlsson I believe is the main charactr's name. The book is about a little boy named Nils and is adventures with an imp. Nils wears short pants and long stockings. The movie costuming seems to follow that shown in the charming illustratins from the book.

Filmology

Our information on this film is somewhat conflictung. One source saus that it is a German film. According to the Internet Movie Database, this film is in Swedish, not German, although it is apparently available on a videotape from a German distributor (probably with German subtitles). It was released in 1990, directed by Staffan Goetestam, and starred Jonatan Lindoff as the boy Nils. Hope this helps a bit. I may try to get a few better images from the film if I can find it.

Swedish Children's Book

This German film is based on a Swedish children's book. We notice some charming books by Astrid Lindgren. One book is entitled Nils Karlsson Pyssling (1956). I'm not sure how that translates. Nils Karlsson Pyssling and in pictures books for children.

Characters

Nils looks like an ordinary little boy, but is only about as big as a thumb. Rather similar in fact to Tom Thumb. He lives under the floor in the bedroom of a very normal little boy--Bertil/Bertrand . There is also Nisse, the landlady, and a dangerous rat. Using a nail, Bertil can make himself small and play with Nils under the floor planks. It is hard to define Nils. In English we might call him an imp, pixie, or farie. The Irish might call him a lepericaun, but lepricauns are little men and Nils is a boy. A Russian reader tells us, "Translations of Lindgren's books are very popular in Russia. A strange thing: In Russian translation Nils is called as a home-spirit, "Domovoy" , in my opinion small boy is extremely unusual depiction of Domovoy."

Cast

Wile the film is a children's movie, it is very professionally done with an excellent cast. The two boys playing Nils and Bertil in the film are Oskar Löfkvist (Bertil) and Jonatan Lindoff (Nils). Both are charming and a give very effective performances in their two very different roles. We do not have any information about their film careers. Perhaps our European readers will know more.

Plot

The movie faitfully follows the plot of the book. It is about young Bertil, a boy around 6 year-old who does not go to school. His sister has just died. Everyday his parents leave the house to go to work and leave Bertil home alone with a minder. He feels very lonely. One day, when laying on his bed without having anything to do, he hears a strange noise coming from under the bed. An imp is climbing on a ladder and suddenly, Bertil find this little imp clothed as a poor boy--the magical inch-high boy named Nils. Bertil is then invited to go to the imp's appartment which is located on the other side of the wall through a mouse hole. After saying a magical formula, Bertrand shrinks in size, becommingas small as the imp. He helps to Nils to establish a comfortable life (giving him bed, blanket, wardrobe and other doll things that belonged to Bertil's sister) and they become a good friends.Some nice adventures begin where we can see them carrying furniture from a doll house , bathing in a coffee cup or being afraid of a big rat seeking to introduce in the "appartment". When parents are coming back at dawn, they ask Nils (who found his normal size) what he did during the day. " I took my bath in this cup" he answers. His parents think he is full of imagination and smile while Bertil who is stroking the imp undr his sweater.

Clothing

Nils wears short pants and long stockings. The movie costuming seems to follow that shown in the charming illustratins from the book. Like Peppi Langstrumpf (Longstockings), Bertrand is wearing long stockings even if the action is taking place in the 70s when no boy or girl were any longer clothed like that in Sweden. A French Canadian reader writes, "Nils' clothing are exactly like those i wore in the 1940s. His short pants are just over the knee and his stockings are ribbed like those boys worn in Scandinavia or Germany until the 1950s. Something strange: the stockings are held up by nothing. The result is that stockings are always pulling down under the knees. No boy or girl wore their stockings without a suspender or at least rubber bands. His wool sweater is really beautiful. I don't like the illustrations in the book even if the clothing are realistic.

Peppi Longstockings

A reader sees some similarities with an even more famous Swesish cjildren's character, "It is more evident with Peppi Langstrumpf's series of films for television. The little girl with braids is wearing a short dress with an apron and long stockings of different colors held up by very used garters. More, she lives alone in a large old house with a lot of money in a suitcase. There is no explanation for that kind of dress but maybe it is possible to give one. I think Astrid Lindgren associated fantasy with vintage clothing. If dressed like this, a today boy or girl would be teased but those children have some magical power like being able to be smaller in the case of Bertrand or being extremely strong in the case of Peppi. In both cases, they are DIFFERENT from other children but they have the power to assert themselves without having to conform to parents dicktats. They are INDEPENDANT and IMAGINATIVE. It is so evident in the case of Peppi. Her best friends are clothed like any kids around who are seeking to please to parents. In the 70's, the educational philosophy was: "Let the child being himself" . Those stories of Bertrand and Peppi were not so far from hippy,s life like shown in the film "Easy Rider" "

Created: July 24, 2003
Last updated: 12:27 AM 7/14/2009