(WARNING: THE FOLLOWING REVIEW IS FULL OF SPOILERS. YOU CAN THANK ME NOW)
When a couple of my friends heard I was going to watch A SERBIAN FILM (arguably one of the most controversial horror films to hit the scene since 1989’s NEKROMANTIK), they were in disbelief. While I was a big “gorehound” in my younger days, I’m really not into extreme horror; I thought the more extreme underground/backyard films that NEKROMANTIK and its ilk spawned in the early 90s helped drag the genre deeper into the toilet than it had already fallen. And don’t get me started on the “torture porn” films that have emerged since HOSTEL became a semi hit; to me these types of films are nothing more than porn for sadists.
But like any horror film fan who has been dared to watch things nearly once a year since he was a kid, I simply HAD to see this movie: after reading several reviews (one that explained in graphic detail all the mayhem that goes on), I gained that rollercoaster-enthusiast thing: here was another movie people were saying goes too far and that “normal” horror fans won’t be able to handle. You went on Lightning Loops, you survived the Great American Scream Machine…but can you handle the 70-foot, 220 MPH drop of (insert your own coaster here). I mean, I figured since I sat through 1977’s SALO: THE 120 DAYS OF SODOM without losing my sanity, and got through the infamous ending of NEKROMANTIK 2 without throwing up, how bad can this thing be?
Well, like 1989’s HENRY: PORTRAIT OF A SERIAL KILLER (which I still think is one of the most disturbing films of all time), A SERBIAN FILM “works” on a psychological level, despite the gruesome visual violence and imagery. I know there must be some who have seen this who are laughing at my statement, but it’s how I felt when the film ended. Reviewers from Serbia have decried this film over on the Internet Movie Data Base, claiming it to be nothing but pure exploitation trash and questioning why the films’ two stars (who happen to be two of the most popular actors in Serbia) would even attach themselves to such a vile project. I personally have no idea…but suffice it to say, A SERBIAN FILM is both a bottom of the barrel exploitation film that DOES INDEED go way too far, yet at the same time has an addictive storyline that kept me glued to the screen and that you won’t find in most extreme films. And what makes the whole project more disturbing than anything is the quality: its shot and edited very well, features top-notch acting and a score that creates tension in all the right places.
Don’t get me wrong: Although it may sound like it, I’m not praising this thing. A couple of friends of mine don’t even want their names or websites associated with it. But when a film with this much controversy behind it comes down the pike, it’s worth taking a look at WHY. Here’s a brief look at the story, then my final thoughts before I jump in the shower and try to forget some of the images I just sat through…
A SERBIAN FILM deals with a retired porno actor named Milos. He lives with his wife Marija their and young son, Stefan (who looks to be about 7 years old), struggling to make ends meet. They catch Stefan watching one of Milo’s old porno films in the first scene, and explain to him that daddy was just “playing” with that girl. (There’s a few scenes of Stefan asking his dad questions about the “stirring he felt down there when he watched that film,” that—to me—were more disturbing than the coming violence.)
One day Milos gets a call from an actress he used to work with. She introduces him to a director named Vukmir (who looks a bit like NON from the 1978 SUPERMAN movie) who in turn offers Milos a huge sum of cash to come out of retirement to star in a new project he’s filming: the only catch is Milos must sign a contract without any knowledge of what the film is about (Vukmir explains it’s a fresh, real-life type of artistic porn genre he’s creating). When Milo’s wife agrees the money is too much to turn down, he signs the contract. But after doing a couple of rough sex scenes where a young girl (about 12 years old) is watching from the corner, Milos tells Vukmir he can’t be involved with the abuse of women or the involvement of children. And when Vukmir tries to explain to Milos another new genre he’s creating (“Newborn Porn”), Milos storms out of the room (and most viewers will, too).
Milos wakes up 3 days later to learn he had been abducted and drugged with something that has turned him into a sexual monster. The remainder of the film features Milos’ memory coming back (with the help of footage he finds on video), and it’s in these sequences that A SERBIAN FILM had gained its notoriety. (SPOILER ALERT): There’s a decapitation-during-sex scene (that while gruesome, was actually done more disturbing in NEKROMANTIK 2), women being beaten, a newborn baby gets raped (yes, you read that correctly), heads are smashed to bloody pulps, Milos is raped by one of the cameraman while knocked out, and in what is arguably one of the most tasteless, demented endings I’ve ever sat through, a drugged-up Milos unknowingly rapes his young son as his brother rapes his wife next to him, and when he realizes what’s happening, Milos and his wife beat and rip his brother and the filmmakers to shreds. Amazingly, after all this, there’s actually a wicked twist of an ending (although it’s more depressing than sitting through PINK FLOYD THE WALL 10 times in a row).
While I was impressed with the overall quality of the film (especially the acting), I’m convinced director Srdjan Spasojevic simply wanted to up the ante—to make something more disgusting than what has come beforehand, despite his claim that A SERBIAN FILM is an allegory on how Serbia’s government keeps “raping” their citizens from the cradle to the grave. Seriously: GIVE ME A BREAK. (Spasojevic also clowns around during his “serious” introduction, bringing his whole point into question). The film would still have been a rough one to watch without all the use (and abuse) of children, and in fact might have been regarded as a true classic of the genre. I can only imagine what went (and still must be going) through the young actor who played Stefan’s head (and I’d like to know what kind of parents would let such a young child act in something like this). And it’s the whole child-element that makes this film as disturbing as it is, and that will also hinder it from reaching a wider audience or gaining any serious respect from genre fans. Even us horror fans who have “seen it all” don’t need to see this (especially those of us who are parents) played out on a movie screen, and I know I won’t be watching it again anytime soon. If ever.
While A SERBIAN FILM could’ve been a true classic, it crosses the line that should not be crossed, and hence won’t be mentioned alongside other extreme horror films such as CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST and NEKROMANTIK. It’s actually kind-of sad as there’s so few horror films out there that leave a mark on you anymore…but this is a mark those seeking entertainment simply don’t need.
Unless you are the type of fan who HAS to see it all, do yourself a favor and skip A SERBIAN FILM. Your mind will thank you.
Now where’s my scrub brush?...
Vukmir and his female assistant look on as they force Milos to perform in a snuff/porn movie in A SERBIAN FILM.
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