cenga50 Reviews

Occupation in 26 Pictures (1978)

Most disturbing Yugoslavian movie

[10/10 · 14 February 2002]

This is a story about three friends from same town - Dubrovnik, a beautiful old town situated on Adriatic coast ( Croatia,then Yugoslavia ) - but from a different nations:Niko (Croat),Toni(Italian)and Miho (Jew).But that fact is not make difference for them-they are best friends.Until... In spring of 1941.,Yugoslavia was occupated by German and Italian armed forces.Dubrovnik became part of so called "Nezavisna Država Hrvatska" or NDH ("Independent state of Croatia"),founded by members of "Ustasha" movement (Croatian fascists)with permission of occupators,of course.Such a pro-Nazi country wasn't a place for any other people but Croats. Serbs and Jews must been terminated... Three friends take three different sides:Toni became an Italian fascist,Niko became a member of Resistance movement ( or partisans),so as Miho (after surviving a bus massacre).

POSSIBLE SPOILER: A film contents shocking scenes of bus massacre that marks this movie as most disturbing picture ever filmed in Yugoslavia.In that scene,a group of imprisoned Jews (including Miho and his father),Serbs and communists was put into the bus.In the bus,a group of "Ustasha"'s killed one by one prisoner (all civilians)by most horrific methods,such as: a ortodox priest's tongue was cut out, so as one woman's nipple; few people were killed by sledgehammer; Miho's father was decapitated...And that's not just in film-"Ustasha"'s perpetrated a horrible massacres and killed thousands of innocent people during WW2.This film shows "ustasha"'s in only possible way-as a savage beasts.That's reason why this movie and director Lordan Zafranovic were on blacklist in Croatia,during reign of pro-"Ustasha" nationalist's dictature in that country (1990.-2000.). This movie shows one of the darkest chapters in history of Balcan,and this is the one of the best Yugoslavian movies of all time.

Most (1969)

Hommage to Hajrudin Siba Krvavac

[25 July 2001]

The strong German Army forces must to cross over the bridge (somewhere in Yugoslavia) on their way back from Greece,in the year of 1944.Yugoslavian Partisans Headquarter send a group of commandos to destroy the bridge and hold up Germans.

Hajrudin Siba Krvavac (sometimes called "Bosnian Raoul Walsh") was the best ex-YU action movie director."Most" ("The Bridge",on English)was his first big hit,followed (three years later)by his most famous masterpiece-"Valter brani Sarajevo"."Most" is totally in Siba's style: great fight scenes,plenty of action and very,very little (almost zero)stupidities about communism (that was regular in movies about Partisans made by other ex-YU directors).

Actors are great,too.Bata Zivojinovic is very good in just another one of his numerous "German-soldiers-exterminating"roles.Slobodan Perovic (in the role of architect who creates the bridge and now must to destroy his masterpiece)is excellent,so as Jovan-Burdus Janicijevic,one of the most popular ex-YU supporting actors.Relja Basic(role of SS officer) show us that villain characters are not strange to him.

Unfortunately,many people who worked on this film are not still alive (including director Hajrudin Siba Krvavac,and actors Slobodan Perovic,Jovan Janicijevic and Boro Begovic)and this comment is some kind of my hommage to them.

When I Am Dead and Gone (1967)

The story about Dzimi Barka

[10/10 · 22 July 2001]

Zika Pavlovic was,probably, first ex-Yugoslavian director who didn't make a stupid movies about Tito's partisans and their fight against Nazis.His movies was about a modern life in ex-Yugoslavia and problems of "our fellow Yugoslavians". "Kad budem mrtav i beo" ("When I die",on English) is a story about Dzimi ( it reads: "Jimmy")Barka,young, handsome,charismatic,but pretty unsuccessful singer from a small town in central Serbia.Dzimi wants to go in Belgrade and become a famous star of pop music,but...this story has a tragic end,like every Balcan story,anyway. Role of Dzimi Barka was a first big job for Dragan Nikolic,one of the best ex-Yugoslavian actors.This role became some kind of his trade mark. Pavlovic was a genious artist and just a few ex-Yugoslavian directors can make such a good story about people from yugoslavian province. This movie is a masterpiece of ex-Yugoslavian film making!

The Battle of Neretva (1969)

Really great movie!!

[8 July 2001]

This is one of the best ex-Yugoslavian movies,and one of the greatest war-movies ever.Located in Bosnia,in year of 1943.,during the famous battle on Neretva river and magnificent victory of Tito's partisans over the Germans,Italians,chetniks(Serbian nationalists) and ustashas( Croatian nationalists),with many greats Hollywood stars,this is simply excellent. One of the strongest scenes is that when a Boy (memorable role of ten year-old Ekrem Kulaglic),a son of the old refugee,spiting on Yul Brynner,who break the bridge over Neretva. One more time :it's excellent movie!!