''Rane'' (The Wounds in English) is a great movie by the best film director in Serbia, Srdjan Dragojevic. The plot is set in Belgrade, Serbia during the chaotic wars in the 90s and shows a path of an adolescent who grows in those times of craziness. Crime, dysfunctional moral values, hate and the need to be in charge are on the rise. It is also an excellent timetable of the events, starting from the Croatian War of Independence, Bosnian War and the Student strikes in Serbia against Milosevic's repressive regime. The talent of Srdjan Dragojevic is how he mocks the prejudices of certain people groups and certainly his courage to makes films that are so liberal in the environment that was mostly hyper-nationalistic and traditional. Highly recommend.
Reviews
14 Reviews
11.22.63
(2016)
Touched me to the bone
4 May 2020
I am more of a movie lover then a TV show lover, however, this show has touched me in ways I couldn't imagine. Fictional, yet so realistic. The plot is based on a event we all know - The assassination of J. F. Kennedy and a man Jake (James Franco) who lives in the present and who, by a kind of void, travels to the past to save JFK hoping that that move would change the course of history for the better. He encounters a lot of people in his trip, he gets a taste of passed times and falls in love. The story is a excellent example of how the butterfly effect works, one minor event can trigger a series of events in the future and shows how fragile time is. Should definitely watch it, some scenes left me in tears, some in pure rage!
Game of Thrones
(2011–2019)
Still number 1
4 May 2020
As pretty much everyone knows more or less the theme of Game of thrones I'll give a short review:
So, the plot is based on the continent of Westeros which is comprised of 7 kingdoms (The North, The Riverlands, The Eyrie, The Westerlands, The Reach, The Stormlands and the Crownlands), Dorne, The Iron Islands and The land of Always Winter which is divided from the rest by an enormous ice wall. Noble families, who control each kingdom and their bannermen fight over the Iron throne and the control of Westeros. All the while a force of half-dead walkers arise after thousands of years in the Land of Always Winter. The story is mostly based around The Starks (noble family of the North), the Lannisters (noble family of the West and the rulers from the shadows) and the Targaryens (the family that united Westeros with the help of dragons) which was exiled and banished to Essos (another continent). The first 6 seasons are phenomenal! Politics, wars, intrigue, mysteries, pacts and betrayals. A lot of characters are perfectly described psychologically (especially Cersei Lannister, Tyrion and Tywin Lannister, Catelyn Stark and Olenna Tyrell). Yet, season seven was kind of rushed, while season 8 was disappointing to say the least. Anyways, you should definitely watch it! The plot lures you into their world, you become nervous, paranoid, sad and happy and you really attach to the characters.
Genies
4 May 2020
I saw this movie recently, but the mistake was I didn't see it before! It's genies! The portrayal of a communist and Che Guevara fanatic from a village in Serbia who lives and lectures in Belgrade is already comic enough. The movie pretty much follows the adventures of Babi Papuska (played by Danilo Bata Stojkovic) and the death of Cuban revolutionary Che Guevara, the fact that Babi took pretty bad. In fear that communist ideology might die with Guevara, he assumes that he needs to take his role and keep communism alive. He is also in a certain age, yet he has never led a revolution and is frustrated because of that fact. Every line in the movie is hilarious, it shows the mentality of Serbian people, it shows the silly fear and anxiety that communism has brought to Yugoslavia. Excellent!
Variola Vera
(1982)
Goran Markovic's masterpiece
3 May 2020
A masterpiece of Serbian cinematography for several reasons:
1. The plot is inspired by a real life event that happened in Belgrade, the outbreak of the Variola Vera pox virus that was brought to Yugoslavia by a person who has traveled to the Middle East.
2. The claustrophobic environment of the quarantined hospital gives you chills down the spine.
3. A struggle of humanity in the darkest times
4. Doing research before making the film. Goran Markovic, the director of the movie, had a team of doctors who contributed in making the movie so it would look realistic, and not a fictional horror movie.
Outstanding acting and cinematography.
In the Middle of Nowhere
(1994)
Great idea, medium realization
3 May 2020
Beautifully filmed, beautifully composed and colorful movie. Great music, and outstanding actors. It's a classic drama of the lives of young people who live in a war-torn country of Serbia. However, the plot itself didn't hold my attention and at the end it didn't touch my feelings at all. But kudos to Bojana Maljevic, a huge talent!
When I Am Dead and Gone
(1967)
Harsh, yet beautiful reality
3 May 2020
A gem of Yugoslav/Serbian cinematography! The movie represents an interesting stream in cinema history that is called ''Yugoslavian black wave'', which portrays life in a newly formed socialistic republic of Yugoslavia. Comprised of six republics and a yet a few cities, it is a dominantly rural environment. Young people become developing ambitions and dreams like their fellow young people in Western Europe and the US, all the while struggling with the repressive regime and all the nonsense that comes with it. Dragan Nikolic, one of Serbia's most beloved actors fantastically plays a young attractive man who has no limits when it comes for wanting to live a better life!
Plus, an interesting thing for cinema lovers! There were to main movie waves in Yugoslavia - ''black wave'' and ''red wave'', the black wave shows the struggles of living in a freshly formed communist country from the perspective of ordinary people, while the ''red wave'' shows exactly the opposite - brave Partizans who fought Germans. Highly recommend both waves if you're interested in discovering the unique mentality of Serbian people.
The review of the everyday chaos in the Yugoslav wars
3 May 2020
A visually excellent film, it shows the everyday life in Belgrade during the complete chaos, sanctions, warfare and crime. Young people trying to find their spot under the sun, trying to fall in love and dreaming of a far away place where they can live without the stress of trying to survive the day. Movies in the 90s in Serbia are definitely the best, and early 2000s. Very often absurd, sprinkled with classical Serbian dark sense of humor. I definitely recommend!
Vukovar Poste Restante
(1994)
Very, very powerful!
2 May 2020
The film is a true masterpiece that has sparked controversy, because of nationalism and pride which are very important in the Balkans. First of all, the movie goes from the perspective of two young people (A Serb man and a Croatian woman) who lived peacefully and very much in love in the city of Vukovar (it lays on the Danube right on the border of Serbia and Croatia) and the two have nothing but love and respect towards each others nations. As the Croatian War of Independence arises, they are split apart. It shows the casualties of wars and how young lives are destroyed because of manipulative politicians and ultra-nationalistic minorities that have a huge impact on the entire society. Yet, the beauty of this movie lays in the details:
1. The love for your homeland (the girl Ana, played by Mirjana Jokovic, refuses to flee Vukovar even though she is pregnant and can easily get hurt)
2. Ana's parents, who are open-minded people who have always gotten along nicely with Serbs (they are Croats) slowly begin to became aggressive and hateful towards Serbia as the sound of bombings and shootings intensifies in the background.
3. They never accused Serbs, nor Croats. That is a very important detail, as that's what differs a war movie and an anti-war movie. They show rape, killings and horrific things done by soldiers and para-military movements never specifying on what side are they fighting.
4. The use of Bajaga's song ''Budjenje ranog proleca'' (The awakening of early spring) is used brilliantly as the camera films a destroyed city.
5. My favorite scene is at the end when Ana and Tomo look at each other from two different buses and the crossroad sign Zagreb (capital of Croatia) and Belgrade (capital of Serbia) is shown alongside the destroyed water tower of Vukovar.
All in all, I strongly recommend to everyone. Especially to people who think that Serbs and Croats alongside other ex Yugoslav nations are flesh eating monsters to watch a realistic story of two ordinary people who's youth and love is shuttered because of a war only profitable politicians wanted!
Turneja
(2008)
A helpful guine for ex Yugoslav countries to find love and peace
2 May 2020
Warning: I am commenting this film from a Serbian point of view.
I don't know how many people outside the ex Yugoslavia states (Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Serbia and North Macedonia) know the course of events that followed the breakup of Yugoslavia, but this movie can help a lot. The war in Bosnia was a huge mess and tragedy, but unlike a lot of anti-war films that have been produced in Serbia, this one puts a perspective through the eyes of actors which is really original. It shows all the nonsense of the war, the degradation of arts and the dark side of the human soul in times of war. What makes the movie so powerful are the little details, like when the Serbian soldiers went to watch the theater play just because it was inside and it was cold, the representation of para-military forces and the ''intellectuals'' who contributed to the spread of hate and intolerance, the death of thousands of young men because of absolutely nothing! The director Goran Markovic is a pure genius, his films can touch the deepest corners of your soul and emotions! Personally, I love these kind of films because they teach the younger generations that war is a losing game for every side! Strongly recommend to everyone, it will raise your will for peace, love, understanding and prosperity.
Three Tickets to Hollywood
(1993)
The best potrait of Yugoslavia
2 May 2020
This movie is a must for all the people who want to learn the unique mentality of Yugoslav people (mostly people from Serbia, Croatia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina). The plot is in a fictional village in Serbia that has all of the characteristics of a real place, even the name ''Gornje Polje'' (Upper field in Serbian) is a common name for Serbian villages. It shows the silly fear and nonsense that the communist regime in Yugoslavia and its president Josip Broz Tito imposed on the nation. The rising of illiterate poltroons on vital functions, the jealousy and hate towards family members because of that fear etc. In a comic and ironic way, that is typical for Balkan nations, it is beautifully shown how the ideological splitting of a nation looks like. Serbia and other Balkan countries are on the crossroad between East and West, thus there were (and still are) those who support Russia and those who support the EU and USA (in the movie it's those who support communism and the USSR and those who support capitalism and the USA). Also, the huge problem of Serbs - they think that they are in the spotlight of attention for everything and that their help and support can make a huge difference (specifically in the movie it's the event of Cuban missal crisis and Bay of pigs invasion and the conflict between Kennedy and Khrushchev), so they start a huge ideological fight, and when they're done fighting nobody knows why the fight happened. Strongly recommend this movie! Love from Serbia
Requiem for a Dream
(2000)
The ultimate all-time-favorite
2 May 2020
Just amazing and perfect! The acting, directing, scenography, costumes, music, everything! The story of a dangerous path people take for love, attention and success. The story of fragile self-control, insecurities and ambition. The impact it has on the viewer is just stunning! One of those movies that grabs you to take a ride with it, one of those movies that makes you question your habits! I remember that I didn't smoke for a long time after watching this movie. Hands down to Darren Aronofsky, Jared Leto, Jennifer Connelly, Ellen Bursty, Marlon Wayns and, above all, Clint Mansell! Should definitely have a special place in the history of cinematography!
About Elly
(2009)
Simply stunning!
2 May 2020
Great is a gentle word for this masterpiece. A true drama and mystery movie, it shows the Western world the beauties of Iranian culture and life, the care for their family, but also the difficulties of life and leisure in such communities and the sacrifice for other human beings. I thank Asghar Fahradi for letting us glimpse in a magnificent world of tradition, history and culture of Iran.
Hair
(1979)
An anti-war masterpiece
2 May 2020
Warning: Spoilers
One of the best movies of Milos Forman. It lures you into the plot, giving you a taste of life in the US in the 60s. The brilliance of Forman is that he managed to attach you so much to the main character that after watching the movie you question yourself: How would I react if I was in his place? The music - phenomenal. I strongly recommend this movie, especially nowadays when hate and intolerance tends to grow. It gives you a glimpse into the huge difference between politics and the people thus growing a need for love and peace with strong visual and musical messages. It simply shows the view on war from the ordinary human perspective, no one wants to lose their loved ones!
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