The Entertainment MagazineMiv EvansTHE MOST BEAUTIFUL BOY IN THE WORLD – a Scandinavian TragedyBy Miv Evans This is the story of an
impoverished Swedish boy and an Italian of noble birth. They become indelibly linked when the Italian
catapults the orphan onto the global stage.
Within months, the two say adieu.
The wealthy aristocrat continues his charmed life; the child is
abandoned in the ether. It’s the aftermath
of this encounter that gives breath to this fascinating tale. It’s 1970. Lucino Visconti is a movie maestro who dines with
the likes of Coco Chanel. He’s directed a
slew of successful films and his latest project is Death in Venice. It’s a drama
about a sickly composer who becomes dangerously fixated with a 15 year-old boy.
He casts Dirk Bogarde as the lead but is
unable to find an actor to fill the role of the boy. He leaves Italy in pursuit of a perfect face. His search doesn’t end until he disembarks in
Sweden. Bjorn Andresen is 11
years-old when his mother disappears. He
and his sister are taken in by their maternal grandmother. She has a casual approach to parenting but is
enthralled by the idea of celebrity. She
thinks Bjorn has a charisma that the screen will love and sends the reluctant actor
out on auditions. Her instincts are
proved correct when Visconti hires him on the spot. Death
in Venice goes into production and is premiered at the 1971 Cannes Film Festival. It’s here that Visconti declares Bjorn to be
“the most beautiful boy in the world.” The
press pick it up and, within hours, it’s gone viral. A teenage idol is born. Bjorn is now 65 and time has
not been kind. Wiry grey hair tumbles down his back and his
beard is unkempt. His face is gaunt and his energy
depleted. It’s therefore a surprise when
Jessica, a beautiful woman who’s decades Bjorn’s junior, introduces herself as
his girlfriend. While relationships based
on physicality are, of course, superficial, Bjorn’s pre-occupation with his own
needs is very clear. It seems that all
he has to offer is his past glory… or perhaps a role for an aspiring actress in
his upcoming documentary. The curse of
the life that took this young Swede’s soul seems reluctant to leave. Although Bjorn is a figure deserving
of sympathy, that sympathy is tested when he admits he treated his children no
better than he got treated himself. We meet his daughter, who’s kind enough to pay
her father occasional visits. She has affection for Bjorn but her adeptness
at keeping the conversation on the surface tells a story of its own. While Bjorn admits to his failings, he has made
no attempt to make amends with anyone, including his only child. It’s therefore easy to fathom who his tears are
really for. Visconti died in 1976 and
there is a museum in Italy dedicated to his work. Bjorn lives anonymously in a Spartan rental. However far these two men travelled, they
were only ever heading back home. It’s fatalistic
and provocative but how the circle of life keeps so many in their place, especially
erstwhile icons. Directed & Written by
Kristina Lindstrom & Kristina Petri Distributed by Juno Films Premiered at Sundance Film
Festival January 29th, 2021 |