Review of Marsal

Marsal (1999)
7/10
One Hell Of A Satire
2 May 2020
Young police officer Stipan (Drazen Kuhn) is sent to investigate a case dealing with a funeral as the island is allegedly haunted by the ghost of Josip Broz Tito, Communist leader of former Yugoslavia, soon the news spreads and others also claim to see the Marshal's ghost. The mayor Luka (Ivo Gregurevic) a die-hard Capitalist, also the owner of the only hotel on the island feels the opportunity to revive tourism and drives the people to stage a kind of "Marxist Disneyland "on a political and spiritualistic basis. He faces backlash from WW2 veterans of 7th Dalmatian Brigade and the villagers, while the old supporters reopen the old Museum of the Socialist Revolution and dust off their old uniforms. The clash of old communists and neo-capitalists' triggers poetic, cynical and coarse moments as the island is invaded by old veterans, secret agents, police, nationalists.

Marshal Tito's Spirit (1999) is one the best comedy dealing with the phenomenon of post-communism ever shot, Bresan co-wrote the script with his father Ivan Bresnan, the acclaimed Croatian dramatist and novelist. Unlike the much better known Good Bye, Lenin! Is not based on a single good idea, but on a series of absurd, well-pointed situations and messages. The story is complemented by amazing cinematography and Balkan music, which creates an interesting atmosphere and excellent actors, who fit exactly to the individual characters. This is probably my favourite from the Bresnan's and I'd recommend it for the fans of Slobodan Sijan, Emir Kusturica, Gytis Luksas, Fridrik Thor Fridriksson and Ivan Salaj you will not be disappointed.
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