Lepota poroka

This film was actually a pleasant surprise for me. By reading the plot, I expected a rather shallow comedy full of clichés, and instead I got a drama that made me think about its issues after it was finished. Although the plot brings a few funny situations, generally it's a sad film about a young woman who longs for freedom and tenderness that she has never experienced. Mira Furlan was more than excellent in playing this role.

The film was made in 1980s in Montenegro (then a republic within Yugoslavia) and it portrayed a huge contrast between the country's strong patriarchal tradition and new "fashion" at the time, i.e. nudism that was developing on the Adriatic coast. The important thing is that the director didn't show any obvious support toward any of the attitudes in the film, instead he left the answers to the audience. Overall, I could say that the film was ahead of its time, especially when the issue of nudity is concerned. Here, I need to stress that viewers shouldn't expect any particularly "hot" scenes, because nudity in the film is shown just the way it is - natural and imperfect, unattractive and poetical at the same time. Another reason that made me think the film was ahead of its time was the feeling that little has changed since 1980s in former Yugoslavia: traditionalists are still powerful and loud, women are still often abused and kept silent, Church is even more dominant than before, while liberal and progressive ideas still have to collide with centuries-old points of view. It seems that only fashion and technology have changed. However, this is an issue that people from ex-Yugoslavia will understand best, just like the film itself, although I can recommend it to everyone who likes eastern European films and has a basic knowledge about the Balkans.