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The Most Beautiful Boy in the World

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The Most Beautiful Boy in the World

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Summary

The life of Björn Andresen, who was propelled to stardom at 15 with a role in 1971 movie Death in Venice, before becoming a pop star in Japan. He looks back on his experience 50 years later, as well as his subsequent struggles with addiction, self-esteem issues and his feelings regarding the powerful men who shaped his life. Documentary starring Björn Andresen, Kristina Lindström and Luchino Visconti.

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Review

A star rating of 4 out of 5.

Anna Bogutskaya

On paper, the story of Swedish actor Bjorn Andresen sounds like the Hollywood dream: a young teen is whisked from anonymity into the upper echelons of glamour, fame and cinema. Andresen was just 15 when, in 1970, he was "discovered" by director Luchino Visconti, who was searching for "the most beautiful boy in the world" to play Tadzio in Death in Venice. But Andresen's striking looks turned out to be both his making and his undoing. This documentary by Kristina Lindström and Kristian Petri offers a thoughtful and melancholic take on the hidden costs of instant stardom, with Andresen reflecting on his own past self-destruction. It's rare to see a film tackle how male beauty can be traded on, but The Most Beautiful Boy in the World effectively explores how being objectified took its toll on Andresen's career and mental health. The film begins and ends with his screen test for Death in Venice, which is fitting, as it was the turning point of Andresen's life. By the end of this empathetic documentary, we see this same footage in a new light, as something that signifies not the actor's breakout moment, but the beginning of a lifelong struggle for self-acceptance.

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6.8/10

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Credits

Cast

rolenameBjorn AndresenBjorn Andresen

Crew

rolenameDirectorKristina LindströmDirectorKristian Petri

Details

Theatrical distributor

Dogwoof

Released on

2021-07-30

Languages

English | Swedish | Japanese | Italian | French

Guidance

sex references

Available on

DVD

Formats

Colour

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