A Serbian Film (Srpski Film)

A Serbian Film (Srpski Film)

Release Date: 2010

Directed by Srdjan Spasojevic

Written by Aleksandar Radivojevic & Srdjan Spasojevic

Starring: Srdjan Todorovic

      Sergej Trifunovic

      Jelena Gavrilovic

      Katarine Zutic

      Slobodan Bestic

      Ana Sakic

      Luka Mijatovic

**** (4 out of 5 stars)

- WARNING: THIS MOVIE WILL SCAR YOU FOR LIFE -

Let me start out by saying this first- if you have any sexual hang-ups, if you're easily offended, if you've got a weak stomach, do not watch this film.  That being said, this is still a 4 star movie.  I wasn't sure exactly what I was in for when I threw on A Serbian Film but I knew the basics: a pornstar is lured into a new project by a mysterious film 'director' whom he is introduced to by a former flame and fellow porn actress.  I also knew that he was lured in falsely, and that somehow this was going to be a dirty ride through an ugly terrain.  I, however, did not even begin to grasp in the least what was going to happen to me during the course of this film, or what I would feel like after the credits rolled.

Milos is an aging, but still attractive, porn actor who is living the family life yet also trying to save up enough money to get away somewhere with his wife and child.  Suddenly, he is offered a new project that is shrouded in uncertainty.  He's also offered a whole lot of money to do so.  After accepting, he slowly begins to figure out that the job is not necessarily what it was cracked up to be.  Srdjan Todorovic plays Milos perfectly, a blend between family man and sleaze; we feel his emotion in a constant from the beginning to end.  There are a wide range of emotions brought out in this dark and twisted script, and Srdjan Todorovic plays them out to perfection.  He is the only actor that really has a lot of lines or dialogue, and it carries well with him in the role because he seems very natural.

Notable mention: the actor who played the depraved Vukmir, Sergej Trifunovic, was also incredibly moving and very creepy.  

The violence is extreme and (often) gory.  Mainly this film contains a lot of sexual violence, which makes it all the more unbearable.  There are a few moments, one in particular involving a pregnant woman, that are excruciating but they serve the purpose.  This film is all about disgusting, grotesque, vile individuals in a hideous world and the imagery (although nothing subtle at all about it) displays it all perfectly: we twist from mediocre uneasiness to the full blown need to vomit.  The scene I mentioned previously with the pregnant woman has to be one of the most ridiculous and depraved scenes I have ever watched- by far surpassing anything in Cannibal Holocaust or Salo: 120 Days of Sodom.  

Of course there are still a couple real cheese doodles mixed into the bag.  One particular moment in the end comes to mind when Milos is exacting some revenge on his "associates", he pushes his erect penis right into a man's eye socket and begins to thrust into his brain, basically.  Very cheesy type of special effect, although it is quite real looking.  However, earlier in the film there is an extraordinary death scene involving a (sexy) decapitation.  Trust me- to believe it, you HAVE to see it.

One of the major aspects of this movie that got me was the story itself.  We see a lot of terrible premises for horrors and thrillers, so it's refreshing to see something new and exciting- even if it is absolutely wretched and void of any morals.  The climax of this movie is something that we will NEVER EVER (let me repeat that: NEVER EVER) see in any film that's made in the Western world.  I thought the climax and ending of Oldboy tested the limits beyond comprehension... until I saw A Serbian Film.

Even though I wanted to cry in my mom's arms about how horrible and sick the world is, all the while vomiting, I still can give this movie 4 stars.  Mainly, this is due to effectiveness- I always try to judge a film on how effective it is in it's own right, in it's genre.  This movie is meant to scar you, it's mean to rip your heart out and fuck it to death.  I couldn't agree more on that with any other movie I've seen recently.  A Serbian Film is truly shocking, weird and absolutely on another level.

Check out what happened in the UK with A Serbian Film