Saturday, March 12, 2016

A Serbian Film, Watch at your own Risk

Absolute trash that should never have been made? Or, an important horror film about the depravity we are destined to achieve?  2010's "A Serbian Film" is one of the basest films ever appearing on this blog.  After the end credits, I asked myself if this work presented the material in a titillating manner, or was it made to disgust us?  Was this film made to advocate a behavior, or to warn us against one? I saw this film as a warning, and the makers of it as artists trying to warn us of where we might be headed.
Milos (Srdjan Todorovic) is a retired porn star...and he was the best.  He now has a beautiful, intelligent wife, Marija (Jelena Gavrilovic), and young son. Money is tight, and the bills need to be paid.  When a former co-star, Lejla (Katarina Zutic), approaches him with an offer, Milos listens. Big mistake!  Lejla introduces him to a suave and wealthy Vukmir (Sergej Trifunovic), who is willing to pay Milos enough dough so he will never have to work again, for one last film.  The catch?  The plot is kept secret, and Milos will never be shown a script.  Big mistake #2, Milos signs the contract.
Hence a dark and tortuous journey begins.  Yep....everything you have heard about "A Serbian Film" is true. Milos just got himself involved in a snuff film....only this is the worst kind.  No more plot, suffice it to say that there is a scene where a new born baby is raped at birth.  A word of warning, every scene Milos shoots is more disgusting than the one before....and the baby scene occurs with 45 minutes still left in the film.  What could be worse?  Do not feel compelled to find out....the images that you will view will stick.
Porn is bad.  Kiddie porn is bad.  Newborn Porn is worse.  This movie continues the spiral downward and what follows the baby scene is...well, I don't know any word for it.  Belgrade, Serbia, where this film was made is one of the most beautiful cities in Europe.  Vukmir believes he is making a movie about the identity of Serbia.  Is he?  Does Vukmir see a Serbia (or fill in your own country, for that matter) that we don't dare recognize.  Are we, indeed, spiraling downward at such a rapid pace that "A Serbian Film" serves as a blunt warning?  You decide.

2 comments:

  1. Intriguing. And here I felt I went overboard by reviewing the Human Centipede trilogy! I think I might have to give this one a go as well. Thanks for the review!

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  2. This was a fairly decent film. A little overrated on the "shock" factor, I still think. Most-likely the cult following behind it.

    SALO was a bit more unnerving for some reason.

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