"There's always something you're good at.
You just have to figure out what it is"
Gummi Tarzan
(Rubber Tarzan), 1981, duration: 86 minutes
Director : Søren Kragh-Jacobsen.
In 1982, the movies won 4 Bodil Awards:
Best movie - Søren Kragh-Jacobsen
Best Male Lead - Otto Brandenburg (played Ole, Ivan's friend)
Best male supporting actor - Peter Schr&oring;der (played Ivan's dad)
Special Award for Cinematography - Dan laustsen
Also in 1982, it won a UNICEF Award at the Berlin Film Festival .
The Story
Ivan isn't doing well in school. He's puny, he's a dreamer and a loner and thus an easy mark for the
bullies. His father, who is a big Tarzan fan and dreams of a big strong son, calls Ivan Gummi Tarzan
(Rubber Tarzan) when it's clear that Ivan is more like the opposite. Unfortunately, the bullies
overhear, and start calling him Gummi Tarzan in school.
Ivan's dad keeps giving Ivan Tarzan stuff - a clock and a poster, but Ivan would much rather have
his bunny poster back. Ivan's dad dreams that his son is strong and brave, but Ivan is neither,
and Ivan's parents - yes, even his mother - don't really understand how Ivan feels.
When he can, he sneaks down to the harbor to play. One day he meets Ole who operates one of the big
cranes - an adult who does not talk down to him - or speaks over his head - and they become fast
friends. Ole too has a lively imagination, and he nudges Ivan into a world where Gummi Tarzan
takes a thorough revenge on the bullies.
Back in the everyday world, Ivan discovers that he's not the only one with problems, and that many
things have become easier for him.
And yes - Ivan finds out what it is he's good at.
The film is based on a beloved children's book from 1981 by Ole Lund Kirkegard. Laustsen was
involved in two more Kirkegaard movies, Otto is a Rhino and Little Virgil and Orla Frogeater.
The generations who grew up reading Ole Lund Kirkegaard's books will probably sooner think of Ole Lund
when they hear the name Kirkegaard than of the philosopher ;-)
More details about the movie on IMDB .
The Actors
Ivan "Gummi Tarzan" Olsen, played by
Alex Svanbjerg
He had a small part in Isfugle from 1983, also filmed by Laustsen, but
he's not in the movie business any more.
Ole, the crane driver, played by
Otto Brandenburg, born 1934.
He won a Bodil for his role in Gummi Tarzan.
Otto Brandenburg had a very long and versatile career - as a baby, he starred in milk ads
and much later on, he played a hospital orderly in Dogme Meister Lars Von Trier's cult tv series Riget
(The Kingdom). In between, he was a singer in a quartet, a solo singer and teen idol and he
made more than 50 movies - two more with Laustsen behind the camera (Emmas Skygge and Dykkerne).
Details of his movies on
IMDB
The Director
Søren Kragh-Jacobsen
More details about his movies on IMDB.
Kragh-Jacobsen is an award-winning Danish director, and one of the co-inventors of Dogme95
On top of that, he's multitalented!
IMDB has him listed a director, a writer, a production designer and more!
He started out as a musician and has released several CDs, including one song that almost everyone
in Denmark can sing along with, Kender du det(Mona).
Kragh-Jacobsen and Laustsen have worked together numerous times - Gummi Tarzan was their
first movie together, followed by:
Isfugle - 1983
Skyggen af Emma - 1988
Guldregn - 1988 (and the 1986 TV series)
Drengene fra Sankt Petri - 1991
Things to buy ....
The DVD of course!
The novel by Ole Lund Kirkegaard
Excerpt from his IMDB biography:
Ole Lund Kirkegaard is arguably the most successful recent Danish children's book author.
Between 1967 and 1975, he wrote no fewer than 6 classics:
"Lille Virgil" (Little Virgil), 1967; "Albert", 1968; "Orla Frøsnapper" (Orla Frog-eater), 1969;
"Hodja fra Pjort" (Hodja from Pjort), 1970; "Otto er et næsehorn" (Otto is a rhinoceros), 1972
and perhaps his biggest success: "Gummi-Tarzan" (Rubber Tarzan) from 1975, portraying the
miserable life of a small, skinny, weak and untalented boy named Ivan Olsen.
All of these six books have since been adapted, either by the film industry or by the theater.
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