Gategutter / Boys From the Streets / Gassenjungen

In 1920s Oslo, the workers’ district Rodeløkka is the scene of unmitigated hardship. Young men steal from trucks and pilfer tropical fruits down at the docks. Gotfred, the gang leader, even robs the mother of his pal Karsten, although she nursed him back to health after Karsten stabbed him by accident. While Gotfred seems destined to become a career criminal, Karsten and little Sofus go looking for work. But their employer soon turns out to be an exploitative woman. When the boys’ fathers launch a labour dispute, the young men show their solidarity with the striking workers by attacking a truck driven by a scab … Set against the 1923/24 Oslo ironworkers and dockworkers strikes, the film uses the point of view of the young men to explore social misery and how solidarity can help alleviate it. Shot in a neo-realistic style on location, using numerous amateur actors speaking the local dialect, Arne Skouen’s directorial debut has become a classic of Norwegian post-war cinema.