A Serbian Film (2010)
Summary
Genre: HorrorGoodies:
+ Breaks out of any traditional sense of horror and tries something new, + Interesting and provocative cinematographyBaddies:
- Extremely graphic and uncomfortable, - Sometimes seemingly does something just to cause an audience reactionAn aging porn star agrees to participate in an “art film” in order to make a clean break from the business, only to discover that he has been drafted into making a pedophilia and necrophilia themed snuff film.
There’s not a great place to start with this one. One thing to note first, is that the 5/10 rating is not an actual rating. For a film like this it is just a placement in the middle because it outreaches what a lot of what I would rate a film on. Do note that this film is not intended for general audiences, and even as a fan of horror films, this may be pushing it a bit. If I someone asked me if I enjoyed the film , I would respond, “No”.  Think along the same lines of Antichrist as far as an experience goes. I will say that the cinematography of the film was done very well, but almost any formal aspects of the film that were good are overshadowed by the content of the film. I won’t get into specifics, but this film had the most disturbing scene I have ever seen in a film, hands down. Now, it’s hard to say if these scenes were shock for shock, or if they were really driving the plot, since the plot was already so deranged, it’s hard to find that singular balance. There were redeeming themes throughout the film that make it interesting as an experience. My favorite scene was when the director was talking to to Milos about how we push beyond in film because it’s a representational of the bad that is in the world, that it is a manifestation of the terror that truly does exist. I thought the monologue was really eloquent and was speaking directly about horror films. People sometimes ask me “why do you like horror so much”, and I see horror as a genre that surpasses our daily reality, yet reaches into where the mind can go – it’s almost the ultimate form of creativity. For some, it’s about being scared, but I think that fear is a subconscious manifestation of a world view. Now, that may be pushing it, or analyzing too much, but I think horror has a lot to offer as societal messages. For this film, specifically, I think that IS what they were going for, but again, with the images being so disturbing, it was almost a push to reach that conclusion. I read that the film is a response to the Bosnia / Serbia conflict – and is a direct commentary on the governments torture of their own people – and I would have accepted that had that been even 1% transparent in the film itself. I think had they done that, it could’ve been a stronger film, because we all know in times of war that some pretty horrifying events occur – but I think they missed the ball on that one (even if that was their intention). Overall, I don’t reget seeing it per se, but I would also never watch it again, or really recommend it. A lot of people were comparing it to some gore hound films, but I view those types of films as vapid at best, and although A Serbian Film was difficult to extract or relate too, there was definitely more to it than violence and gore (when all was said in done, it was more psychological than it was gore anyways). It is definitely a film that will stir up some conversation between two people who have seen it (within that small demographic).
