"Pozorisna Veza" or "The Theater Connection" is another attempt to bring detective thrillers into Yugoslavian cinematography.
By the late 70s, a stereotype of the NYPD detective was taking over the global entertainment business. Action movies with badass cops chasing cons and criminals were a part of everyday must-see pastime, and it was about time to introduce the genre into Yugoslavian production world of the silver screen. That I can understand, and yet it probably remains the reason for a complete absence of any artistic expression in "Pozorisna Veza". The cast, led by Bata Zivojinovic, Neda Arneric, Svetlana Bojkovic, Voja Brajovic and others did a fair, but not an unforgettable job. In short, a gang of professional thieves, after pulling a job in Vienna, decides to rob a safe of the National Theater in Belgrade. They succeed in the task, however, the police manages to track them down and that's where the chase begins. Still, it is not much of a spectacle. The main problem lies in the fact that communist Yugoslavia was a pretty calm place with little or no organized crime. Therefore, it was quite tough and challenging to project the NY gangland into Belgrade, and You could hardly say that robbing a theater safe can be an action highlight thrill. Well, back then maybe it was...
"Pozorisna Veza" is anything but a cinematic masterpiece. Acting was average at best, script unfinished and hastily put together, director's work and editing very unimaginative, but I still enjoyed watching the movie up to some point. I also like it due to the appearance of an automotive classic - BMW 3.0 CSi, which apparently was a popular vehicle in Belgrade's police force at the time (It also plays a roll in "Neka Druga Zena", as a detective's car). At least, it's nice to see how naive and mild old days were hanging on, when crime was reserved for the cinemas alone.
By the late 70s, a stereotype of the NYPD detective was taking over the global entertainment business. Action movies with badass cops chasing cons and criminals were a part of everyday must-see pastime, and it was about time to introduce the genre into Yugoslavian production world of the silver screen. That I can understand, and yet it probably remains the reason for a complete absence of any artistic expression in "Pozorisna Veza". The cast, led by Bata Zivojinovic, Neda Arneric, Svetlana Bojkovic, Voja Brajovic and others did a fair, but not an unforgettable job. In short, a gang of professional thieves, after pulling a job in Vienna, decides to rob a safe of the National Theater in Belgrade. They succeed in the task, however, the police manages to track them down and that's where the chase begins. Still, it is not much of a spectacle. The main problem lies in the fact that communist Yugoslavia was a pretty calm place with little or no organized crime. Therefore, it was quite tough and challenging to project the NY gangland into Belgrade, and You could hardly say that robbing a theater safe can be an action highlight thrill. Well, back then maybe it was...
"Pozorisna Veza" is anything but a cinematic masterpiece. Acting was average at best, script unfinished and hastily put together, director's work and editing very unimaginative, but I still enjoyed watching the movie up to some point. I also like it due to the appearance of an automotive classic - BMW 3.0 CSi, which apparently was a popular vehicle in Belgrade's police force at the time (It also plays a roll in "Neka Druga Zena", as a detective's car). At least, it's nice to see how naive and mild old days were hanging on, when crime was reserved for the cinemas alone.
