The only thing that scared me as a kid was the sometimes graphic violence in the end. Children can handle a lot more than you think when it comes to strong emotions like love and loss. This movie was groundbreaking and it's often wrongfully accused of being too dark and strange.

To children that are about to die you read this novel or show this movie and I don't know how often you read the inscription 'We'll see eachother in Nangijala' on gravestones in Swedish cemeteries. You can't understand how many kids have found comfort in this story. They made 'Bröderna Lejonhjärta' available only to people over 11 and this caused such a storm that they actually changed the swedish law so that a new agelimit came at 7! All this over one movie.

Second of all, back in those days the only agelimits on cinemas were 15, 11 and under. First of all it had a completely new way of speaking to kids about death a movie that took children seriously and didn't treat them like they could handle only joy and happiness. When Olle Hellbom's movie came in 1977 it caused a mediastorm Sweden had never seen before. 'Bröderna Lejonhjärta' ('The Lionheart Brothers') was maybe one of her most important books, because it handles such heavy subjects in such a great way. Astrid Lindgren was without comparison Swedish literature's queen and when she died last year it seemed like we couldn't stop mourning. It's very good to see with your children to then discuss it afterwards. I must also say that grown-ups as well as kids can enjoy this movie. I am also sorry if people are too destroyed by American blockbusters and can't handle the fact that this movie is for an audience of youngsters and that it's about death. Please don't think you know EVERYTHING about swedish moviehistory just because you've heard of Bergman, there is so much more to it and this movie has virtually nothing in common with Bergman's work. You would especially think so after reading the other comment which compares 'Bröderna Lejonhjärta' to Ingmar Bergman - HELLO?!? We do have other directors than Bergman and to compare him to 'Bröderna Lejonhjärta' is like comparing 'American Pie' to Spike Lee or something. Maybe it's hard for people outside of Sweden to fully understand what this movie has meant to Swedes through the years.

The brothers lionheart