A Serbian Film (2010)

That saying, "Some things you can't unsee" is definitely in full affect here. I saw this at the SF indiefest with a small theater packed with people and left utterly speechless. I have seen everything under the sun when it comes to sick and twisted cinema and this tops it all.

What's insane is that this movie is REALLY well made; Some very impressive camera work, disgustingly sharp and mean spirited dialogue, a believable cast and some serious nailbiter scenes. Oh yeah, it's actually got some laugh out loud moments also, but it never takes you away from that feeling of dread and utter disgust.

As a previous review said, there are about 4 scenes that I will never forget in my life. I saw this about a week ago and every time I see the friends I saw it with the scenes come up in our conversations. There are things put on celluloid that I never, ever thought I would see in a cinema in America(or Europe for that matter).

Go into this with extreme caution and a very open mind. I loved it.

Fmovies: First, I want to say that I disagree with everyone who argues that this movie is simply made for explicit shock value with no other purpose. I can quarrel this with two simple points: 1. I am a male porn performer myself and immediately found there to be a handful of real concepts, thoughts, and fears to relate with Milos on within the first fifteen minutes of the film (desensitization, your position in a family setting as a pornographer, to take the job or not to take the job, etc). Now, I'm sorry if you have no way of grasping that he is a realistic and admirable character in believable shoes, but he is. The level of relation I found with Milos shocked and impressed me and made me wonder if either that screenwriter had had some personal experience as a porn performer in the past, or instead was just a really intelligent person who was able to grasp it without actually experiencing it.

2. People like this actually do exist! Snuff is not a fictional concept. There are people that are this sick out there - and involving massive sums of money and pornographers does not seem far off at all. If it weren't for people who took the time to make films like this for us, how would we be aware of the twisted possibilities of what could happen to us if we're not too careful? On top of these opening defense statements, there are a bundle of things that make this a fantastic film.

First of all, the cinematography - the look they got in post - the editing - it all looks stellar, tasteful, and comes off as being done by true, inspired professionals. This is probably the best looking and feeling film that exists that could be considered anything even nearing the "torture porn" sub-genre. While I would never call this a straight-up torture porn film, it certainly does feel similar when it delves into it's scenes of sex and violence with "S&M tones" - that's putting it lightly... I would never call this a horror film either. It's FAR too human and psychological to me to be categorized in a genre that has become so stale and brainless. If anything, what separates it from most torture porn is that it's torturing your brain, not just your eyes by seeing prolonged sadistic violence on it's own. There's a lot more to this. It's more like psych-torture.

I also found the performances to be perfect for this film. Milos of course steals the show, see-sawing between the calm likable man he is and the primal beast he becomes when "working". Marko was also another standout with his performance - very discomforting with his bitterness towards Milos and his uncontrollable lust for Milos's beautiful wife. While Vukmir and his henchmen were the cheesiest, they still filled their shoes very effectively. Majority of the female characters didn't have much personality, but I believe that was on purpose to go along with the mentality of pornography - and I found it very effective and dreamlike or nightmarish. I couldn't believe how many stunning women they found to cast for such an intense film - it only adds to it's surrealism.

The score was impressive as well. Hard hitting, abrasive, electronic beats almost comparable to a score like that of The Social Network - and just as good. It made me feel even more engaged in the film and the character than I already was beforehand.

Now, I know a lot of people can't handle explicit gore - but the artificial violence itself is a masterful art on it's own! To create an artificial scene of viol

I've written a book and some articles about film censorship, so given the controversy looming around this particular film, and its highly interesting release history in the UK (read wikipedia for more), I got my hands on a pre-release uncensored copy. What's very interesting is that apart from some suggestive shots hinting at pedophilia and the extension of the film's most gruesome, unforgettable scene, it's all there, only left to the imagination - leaving me with the question I've come up with whenever confronted with such a case: if censorship leaves certain aspects to the spectator's imagination, isn't the effect even more stimulating?

Yes, 'A Serbian Film' undoubtedly runs for the title of the yuckiest film ever. Yes, it's definitely reveling in the very muck it pretends to criticize, i.e. the complete and total moral decay of our times. I would have very much favored an incorporation of the (presumably Western) consumers of the kind of pornography it deals with, for that remains the film's weakest aspect: the social commentary is quite accurate, but not sufficiently explored.

And yet, 'A Serbian Film' is still unmistakably a piece of art. The technical specs are top-notch for such a limited budget. The acting, especially Sergej Trifunovic as psychiatrist-turned-porn producer Vukmir, is nothing short of (disturbingly) wonderful. And most important of all: the underlying anger appears to be real. I was in Serbia for a festival last year (prior to this film's release), and cannot help but remember how similar some opinions and stories I heard were to the views expressed in this film. That being said, I completely understand why Serbs were outraged at this film. Being born in Romania, which has an equal share of ethical bankruptcy, I must admit that if this had been made in Romania, and called 'A Romanian Film', I would be very very mad.

This is one of those rare pieces of celluloid which will most likely not allow for any neutral point of view, like 'Mondo Can(nibal)e', or Pasolini's 'Salo', or the collected films of Catherine Breillat. The difference for me is that I usually dislike films of this nature because of their wantonly exploitative nature serving no narrative purpose; that purpose, however, exists in 'A Serbian Film', making it all the more disturbing and relevant.

A Serbian Film fmovies. OK, I finally got round to watching A Serbian FILM.

I consider myself to be in the heavyweight division when it comes to having seen the most hardcore of horror/shock films, i.e, Slaughtered Vomit Dolls, The Gateway Meat, Murder-Set-Pieces, Irreversible, Men Behind The Sun, All the Cannibal films, Nekromantik....you name it, I've probably seen it. Now, I have to say, NONE are as nasty as this beast!

Im not going to say what happens in the film, but even for me, some was hard to watch. BUT the actual film is GOOD!...If you can get through it.

The basic story is about a guy called Milos, who is a retired porn star, who in his day was the best actor in the business. Now he is a bit skint, so when he gets offered one last job, offering him enough money to set him and his family up for life, he just can't turn it down. He asks what the film is about, but the employer is reluctant to tell.....what happens is indescribable!!! Like I said it is very hard to watch in some scenes, but the film is actually really good, and the acting is solid throughout.

You got to think, the poorer European countries, are rife with crime, and money goes a long way. So if you are having hard times and a massive money offer comes your way...How far would you go!

For me 8/10, but I can't recommend it, simply for the content in the film. But if you think you can take it, and can appreciate it for the film it is, go for it!

Consider this not exactly as a review, but as a warning from a friend, in case you haven't seen this film yet and are curious about it. There are already many good reviews here dealing with the cinematographic, technical, cultural etc aspects of this film, so I won't add anything new there. This is not about the film, but about you, the potential viewer.

As many other reviewers, I've seen a significant amount of "extreme" or strong horror movies. Fear and shock are powerful emotions, and films are a safe and entertaining way of experiencing them. Some of them left a deep impression in me, sometimes for a few days, but that eventually vanishes.

With this film, it's a different story. It may leave permanent scars in your mind that will ruin some of the best experiences of your life, such as witnessing the birth of your child or lying in bed caressing a son's hair. Violent and obscene thoughts will keep intruding, and it's scary for me to think how much this can affect some people. If you think that you may belong to this group, don't risk it. There are many good films out there, and you may go on living without watching this one. Otherwise, go and watch it, but just remember that images can not be erased from your brain aftewards.

This is why this is so different. The fear does not come during the movie. It comes after. And it is too real.