Director: Srdjan Spasojevic
Starring: Srdjan Todorovic, Sergej Trifunovic, Jelena Gavrilovic, Katarina Zutic
An excellent review by Adam Truscott for the uncut version. I am still not sure if I want to see this film, but most people who have seen it seem to agree that although disturbing it is extremely well made
The One Where I Watched “A Serbian Film”, So You Didn’t Have Too
God knows I tried to avoid writing this.
To be honest, I’ve tried to stop thinking about A Serbian Film full stop.
I’ve gone to the ballpark with my Son. Taken him swimming. Continued my amazing re-birth on Black Ops. Taken in a bit of Football. Tried to take an interest in what my Wife is doing.
Because really, “A Serbian Film” is the most devastating film I’ve ever seen.
Not in “I Spit On Your Grave” or “Clockwork Orange” way. Those two are kids in the play ground next to this monster. This film has a snooker ball in a sock, screaming, “I’m the Daddy round ‘ere!”
This is about a young Dad. Lured back in to make one last film. Knowing that the money troubles facing him leave him no choice. He is after all one of the greatest porn stars of all time.
And like that, the similarities between myself and Milos end.
Sorry, but I have to try and keep this light hearted, because other than that, other than the fact that he’s the Dirk Diggler of his generation, Milos is like you or me.
He lets his son watch movies he probably shouldn’t. He does whatever he can to get him through school. He clearly dotes on his wife.
But you can’t escape your past.
And here, with that one last movie, it comes back to haunt Milos.
The premise is that simple. One last porn movie, with an unknown plot. Very little editing. For a ton of cash.
Milos is in.
From there, it reminded me a lot of “Angel Heart”. Nothing like each other in terms of plot – although the bloodbath love scene wouldn’t be out of place here. The key similarity is the protagonist, on his descent to Hell. And he can’t do anything about it.
I’m a little ashamed to say I went out of my way to see the uncut version of this film. I hate censorship, and had heard too much about it, I guess. I turned into that kid that desperately wanted to see “Childs Play 3” behind my Dads back.
I love film. I want to embrace all forms of it. But this comes armed with barbed wire. I want to watch it with Eli Roth, and Tarantino. I think they would cover their eyes, and say, “enough”.
The scenes that have been cut have the Director claiming the message has been lost. There is a message. The Director keeps harping on about it. About how the Serbian government is “raping people from Birth”. About how people are only too eager to screw you over.
There’s thought here, no doubt. The film is too well made to suggest otherwise. But do we need a literal scene to emphasise these things? The “Newborn Porn” sequence deserves its place as one of the most notorious scenes ever. I couldn’t believe what I was watching – and as a film fan, I’d researched everywhere for what I might be coming up against.
Yet I still struggled. It was an ordeal to get through. A real challenge.
Come the final twist, (after a face bashing that makes the fire extinguisher scene in “Irreversible” look like it’s from “Driving Miss Daisy”), you will be left bloodied, and beaten.
Because this is a film about families. Although, definitely not a family film.
I’ve seemingly spent my life waiting for a film that would actually be worse than what I envisaged in my head. Now I’ve found one, I’m not sure what to do.
I actually own Anti Christ on Blu Ray. I don’t know why. I just had the same urge to see it. Fed up of people insinuating what I could and couldn’t watch.
I’ve always had that.
But this?
This is different.
If you Google “A Serbian Film” you’ll find the reams of torrents. It’s all over the web. And that is worrying. I’ll spend my life protecting my Son from this film. Until he’s ready to watch it himself. And even then, he’ll need to answer why he wants to see it. Deep down I know I won’t be able to stop him.
The only reassuring thing is that this film seems to have turned so many off; everyone will try and protect everyone else from it.
Which is a shame. Because despite it all… it’s universally brilliant. If I didn’t know better, I’d say it was the best Horror film ever made.
The one positive? I’m not haunted by that gaunt, subliminal white face in “The Exorcist”, anymore. The bad news? It’s something far, far worse.
