Take It Easy

A youth film set in the summer of 1945, when the war in Europe has finally ended. For 17-year-old Herbert and his schoolmate Allan, their regular hangout is the Munich Inn, where Leo Mathisen's orchestra plays. The orchestra's drummer, Spjæt, is Herbert's idol, while Allan is more interested in the cloakroom attendant Anita than in the music. Herbert lives alone with his mother, who is a pianist. He has a job as a delivery boy at a grocery store, but supplements his income by trading on the black market. The black market goods, which can be sold at the München Kroen, are obtained in exchange for things Herbert has stolen from his mother or the grocer. Eventually, he even sells his mother's grand piano. A black American officer, whom he has befriended, intervenes when the business starts to go too far.

Directed by Jesper Høm, Take It Easy leans on a strong ensemble — Nikolaj Egelund, Martin Elley, Eddie Skoller — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about drama titles of 1986.