Nokaut (1971)

Directors:

Boro Draskovic
Gregory Simpson

Writers:

Zulfikar 'Zuko' Dzumhur (writer)
Luka Pavlovic (writer)

Release Date:

May 1976 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

He could make beautiful women do anything he wanted... and he wanted EVERYTHING

Plot Keywords:

Sex | Female Nudity | Beautiful Woman

Cast

Miodrag Andric
Barbara Bouchet
Milan Galovic
Milan Galvanic
Ljiljana Krstic	...	Majka
Margaret Lee
Michael Sullivan	...	American tourist
Milja Vujanovic
Milivoje Zivanovic	...	Otac
Milovoje Zivkovic

Also Known As:

Instant Success (International: English title)
The Rogue (USA) (wide-release title)

Runtime:

91 min | USA:84 min

Country:

Yugoslavia | Italy

Language:

Serbo-Croatian

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

USA:R

Company:

Bosna Film

A Product of Its Time

The copy I have of this film is the retitled version known as "Blondes and Black Leather", which is as deceptive a title as lead actor Milan Galovic's character in the film. "The Rogue" is indeed a more accurate title. This is a very strange and artistically inspired film that tries to examine modest small-town European life in a time that affluence is being stressed while at the same time being an exploitation film through and through. The film flip-flops between fun frivolity with Galovic and his nude driving sessions with Barbara Bouchet to very serious real-life drama with (actual?) footage of protesting students being beaten and arrested by the repressive police. The film seeks to be a social commentary while taking every opportunity to show nudity and softcore sex. As the film comes from an era where filmmakers were not afraid to present the audience with an unhappy ending, the viewer has the hint early on that the conclusion will not be an especially uplifting one, and judging from the closing scene, one would think the actions of the Charles Manson family, then very much still in the news, had an influence on the film's writers.

Is the film successful at juggling all of these images and themes? In my opinion, yes. The film benefits from very strong performances by Galovic, Bouchet and Margaret Lee, as well as the more unknown cast members; the cynical conclusion comes off like a twisted lesson in morality while the characters execute the final deed by most immoral means. Exploitation fans will not be disappointed by the usual elements of the genre, which are here in abundance, and the score, typical of the period, is very pleasant listening and is just about the only really bright spot in a downbeat film. The film apparently seeks to force the exploitation crowd to accept more serious fare, and on this level the film is also successful.

This is a film for those who don't mind a little thought and concept tossed into their dubious mix of early 1970's exploitation. There seems to be little thought, only marketing, in the re-titling and ad campaign for the misleading title "Blondes and Black Leather" --the distributors who re-named the film discarded any knowledge of the film's content in favor of selling tickets, and as such, their actions are cynical and very much like the film itself, proving that this early 70's feature was ahead of its time and yet right on time.