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Reviews
Zaboravljeni (1992)
In the spirit of the late 80s
The series were made from the material of two movies: Zaboravljeni (1988) and Pocetni udarac (1990), both made at the end of the 80s, must have been a strange viewing for the Serbian audience in 1992. As both movies functioned quite well in 1990, in 1992 situation was completely different; Communism collapsed, there was a major war in Croatia and Bosnia caused by Serbia, criminal got worse in Serbia and life changed a lot, for worse. Young Serbian stars to come are doing quite well here, as does the Croatian actor Mustafa Nadarevic or Serbian legend Djuza Stojiljkovic. A must watch for those born in Yugoslavia, especially those who remember the 80s quite well.
Sokol ga nije volio (1988)
Civil war is worse than any hell imaginable
World War II in Croatia was among those wars in which pure survival was a very complicated thing. Story how a simple man is trying to survive between hell of Nazism and hell of Communism is not a simple one, and yet few movies were made in Yugoslavia like this one, only ten years before, in the 70s, the entire crew would be probably jailed, not becuse it shows lies, but because it shows how an honest individual didn't have a chance between two evils.
A very dark and yet quite emotional film about times in which honest people were destroyed. A must see for everyone who wants to understand Croatia and why there is much tragedy around wars.
Nebo sateliti (2000)
Most fascinating movie about war in Croatia, but not a war-movie
Well, if you're Croatian, this movie seems quite confusing. And I have a feeling it's quite complicated for the rest of the world :) But this is something special. Magical camera, a very special story. This is a world best described like a destroyed world in a 80s cartoon "Thundarr the Barbarian". The only thing that is constant if feeling of being disoriented. There is a war, but there is no clear battle line. The main character, brother of Lukas, the director, Filip Nola is just brilliant. Where he is going, nobody knows. He is meeting many figures. Croatian soldiers, local orphan girls, he is being captured by Serbian rebellions, and while the rest end up badly, he is making friends with local rebellion commander. The only constant is, he is surviving, while other, aren't. And the end is quite fascinating. It's a begging. In all war misery, there is something that makes this movie so human, so warm. A really something that can't be described. This movie deserves to be seen.
Marsal (1999)
Another hit from Bresan family, second most popular film in modern Croatia
Marsal was something spectacular and very brave. This is the best movie that modern Croatia produced, in my humble opinion. We have everything that was troubling Croats then and that is troubling Croatians today. A small Dalmatian place, which got really hurt in transition and privatisation. Local communist, now a proud nationalist bought everything. And nothing is working. Life is quite dead. Like on a stereotype island. Until Tito's ghost comes. At least it seems so. Well, for local elderly communists, this a chance to get communism back, so they round up old comrades, and old geezers are only ready for hospital, not for a new revolution. But for mentioned local tycoon, ex-communist, now proud capitalist, this is a chance to open theme park Titoland /like Disneyland/ and he is ready to import ghost of Honecker for Germans, ghost of Mao Zedong for Chinese, you name it, we've got it. For the rest of the movie, try to get it. It's really worth it. And something for future viewers. Franjo Tudjman was the head of historical institute.
Kako je poceo rat na mom otoku (1996)
Most popular modern Croatian movie, a must-see
During the Serbian aggression in Croatia, especially from 1992 until the end in 1995, Croatian national cinematography forgot about comedies at all. I remember it was 1996 and everyone were talking about the film. I was in 5th or 6th grade and all guys from the class decided to go to the cinema. It was something strange for national production, the entire cinema was crowded, all were laughing and all had a good time. Now, when I'm university student, I'm looking at the film more as a tragedy, than a comedy. Under the laughter, there is much tragedy, you have the Serbian commandant which is ready the blow up the Croatian town in which he has lived for years, just for the Yugoslav state which is dead, on the other hand, Croatian local commandant is ex-communist who is ready to do anything, but nothing smart, and only thing which is holding him from making a complete disaster is his deputy, who is smart, but not the boss. Nobody gets killed, only a poet. Intellectual gets killed, while saying a pessimistic poem of Croatian poet Antun Gustav Matos in which Croatia is being hanged in the begging of 20th century. Nothing really changes in Croatia. Everyone is trying to hang Croatia.