A Serbian Film

IMDB
First time viewed: No
Current Release: Yes
Watched With: Jordan, Naomi, Alex

Another extremely controversial film, albeit a much more recent one. I have a copy of the British Bluray release which is sadly the censored cut but I am as yet unsure that the uncut version will ever be released anywhere, save for the illegal screener I downloaded in order to see it last year because I'm very naughty. But if it does ever come out uncut, rest assured I'll be getting that copy too, there were few bits here and there that helped clarify some character points, specifically relating to the brother, and made the action a little smoother and discernible in the more graphic portions. Also there was a bit more baby rape.

So like Salo, this film is filled with extreme sexually graphic and violent content. I mean extreme. Probably the harshest I've ever seen. Unlike Salo though, I find this film much harder to take but also easier to get behind in recommending. It's a very angry film but at least it has characters to get behind and a narrative flow. There is actual drama here to follow, it takes its time setting up the characters and the predicament. It's also very technically proficient, it looks slick and has a great soundtrack that I would normally hate but the damn thing's been stuck in my head since last year and I kind of love it now.

So the shocking acts of sexualised violence... It's a pretty big publicity stunt and hard to justify in any context. This being a current film there is still a lively debate going on about the virtue of the film and fortunately the director and writer are still alive to defend their work. I've read a bit of what they've said and it does indeed seem plausible that they are that pissed off at the Serbian government, among other things. It certainly makes that statement loud and clear. But there's also a sad moralistic tale that you could relate to anyone trying to escape their past and one generation being figuratively (and literally) screwed over by the generations before them. Again it's a simplistic reading and you could take what you want from it however I don't find this to be pure exploitative trash, I think it does have artistic merit.

It leaves you feeling very dirty and drained. Be warned there's things in this film you can't unsee. It was softened upon second viewing though.