"Swing Kids" Analysis

The Nazis were a major adversity to many of the German people. They tore families apart from each other by propagandizing citizens and seemingly changing their values. Those who became Nazis usually either wanted power or were afraid of the Nazis. In the movie Swing Kids, Thomas Berger shows that a need for power can severely weaken both morals and relationships with others.

Thomas initially joined the Hitler Jugend to help his friend Peter through it. At that time, he was opposed to the Nazis. He was a Swing Kid, and was always the one to break up fights. However, as he progressed through the Hitler Jugend program, he begins to change. He turns in his own father for being a traitor to the Nazis, and begins to strictly follow Nazi policies. Eventually, he is conformed into the German police and believes that the Nazis are morally acceptable. The Hitler Jugend brainwashed him and promised him power. Thomas had a need for power, so the promise of power obviously took hold of him and effectively sucked him into the Nazi party. He supported the Nazis in an argument with Peter, stating that the Nazis have the power and go where they please because of this. Thomas seems to be someone that will follow whoever has power. He felt powerful being a Swing Kid, as it gave him a feeling of power over what he believed to be the evil Nazis. But as soon as he was exposed to Hitler Jugend propaganda, he saw the rising power of the Nazis, and wanted a share of that power. He was promised power, and he got it- at the expense of many of his moral values. Peter, who stuck to his values through the propaganda, distrusted Thomas because of this drastic change from Swing Kid to Nazi, and their friendship completely fell apart. Thomas eventually sees his mistake, but it had been just a little too late. His need for power had cost him many of his friendships, and, presumably, the life of his best friend.