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Movie Review | 'A Serbian Film'

Torture or Porn? No Need to Choose

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By A.O. Scott

• May 12, 2011

In spite of its generic title, “A Serbian Film,” directed by Srdjan Spasojevic, has already provoked scandal on the festival circuit and fascination from devotees of extreme cinema. At first glance — and few are likely to dare a second — it belongs in the high-concept shock-horror tradition whose most recent and notorious specimen is probably “The Human Centipede.” As is often the case with movies like this, “A Serbian Film” revels in its sheer inventive awfulness and dares the viewer to find a more serious layer of meaning.

Milos (Srdjan Todorovic), a stringy-haired, sad-eyed fellow who has retired from a career in pornography to spend more time with his wife (Jelena Gavrilovic), their son and a large bottle of Jack Daniel’s, is pulled back into his old profession by an offer from Vukmir (Sergej Trifunovic), a cinéaste whose perversity is matched only by his pomposity. Milos, he says, is “a Balkan sex god,” the Nikola Tesla of fornication, whatever that means. Lured by a fantastic sum of money, Milos signs up for a project that Vukmir promises will produce a world-historical and uniquely Serbian work of art.

In setting up this premise, Mr. Spasojevic seems to be settling into a De Palmaesque realm of queasy, kinky, suspenseful comedy, teasing the boundary between titillation and revulsion. Once the shooting of Vukmir’s movie starts, however, that line is definitively transgressed, as “A Serbian Film” descends into a spectacle of increasingly cruel and gruesome sexual violence. Rape, incest, murder, torture, necrophilia — these words seem positively genteel in reference to the grisly scenes that Milos joins, mostly against his will. Newspaper-friendly euphemisms do not really exist for the images Mr. Spasojevic conjures up. Suffice it to say that they make the bad bits of Lars von Trier’s “Antichrist” look like the Smurfs.

What you make of this spectacle — which is filmed, not without skill, in slick and lurid widescreen composition — will depend to some extent on how you interpret the movie’s title, with its deadpan implication of typicality. “A Serbian Film” refers both to Mr. Spasojevic’s movie and also, perhaps more directly, to the movie inside it, which Vukmir envisions as a transcendent expression of Serbia’s national identity . The framing tale, with its allusions to the Balkan wars of the 1990s and the greed and political corruption that followed, can thus be seen as a piece of corrosive social criticism, exposing a national psychology of sadism, misogyny and self-pity. That it may also be an example of those things is no contradiction. “That is cinema!” Vukmir exclaims as his masterpiece reaches its unspeakably savage climax. “That is film!” It’s hard to argue, even though this Serbian film is almost as hard to watch.

“A Serbian Film” is rated NC-17 (No one 17 or under admitted). The best part of this movie may be that members of the M.P.A.A. ratings board had to sit through it.

A SERBIAN FILM

Opens on Friday in Manhattan, Queens and Brooklyn.

Produced and directed by Srdjan Spasojevic; written by Aleksandar Radivojevic and Mr. Spasojevic; director of photography, Nemanja Jovanov; edited by Darko Simic; music by Sky Wikluh; production design by Nemanja Petrovic; costumes by Jasmina Sanader; released by Invincible Pictures. In Serbian, with English subtitles. Running time: 1 hour 38 minutes.

WITH: Srdjan Todorovic (Milos), Sergej Trifunovic (Vukmir), Jelena Gavrilovic (Marija), Katarina Zutic (Lejla), Slobodan Bestic (Marko) and Ana Sakic (Jecina Majka).

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A Serbian Film (2010) Review

As you are about to read this review, we have one warning and don’t worry, we’ll explain, but please, never watch A Serbian Film .

That sounds like some kind of challenge, doesn’t it? I’d much rather you didn’t take it as one. It is not a dare; it’s a heartfelt request. I mean this genuinely. It would be irresponsible of me as a critic, and arguably as a human being, to let this go unsaid. I’m not advising you to check it out if you’re into this kind of thing. (If you’re into this kind of thing, see a doctor).

I’m not suggesting this a niche movie, or that there might be something to enjoy about it. I am saying, earnestly, that you should not watch it. Doing so will actively make your life worse. I know this because, for reasons that are mysterious even to me, I watched it all the way through. I’m fairly sure there’s something wrong with me.

Over the past twenty-six years I’ve made a lot of mistakes in my life. I’ll always be the first to admit that. I haven’t necessarily made the decisions I should have, and often the ones I have made have proved to be incorrect for all involved.

I’m not shy or ashamed about any of this, because it’s a fundamental part of growing up and being a human being. We live, we make mistakes, and we learn. But watching  A Serbian Film  is one of the worst mistakes I’ve made in a long time.

There’s nothing to be learned from it. I usually make jokes in these things, and I can’t even summon the will to do that. I just feel a bit sick. There were four separate moments between the opening and closing credits where I simply turned the thing off; four individual points where my brain kicked back in, my senses returned, and I realised what I was doing.

I think it was possibly the third of these instances when I asked, loudly to the empty room, “What the fuck am I doing with my life?”

I don’t have an answer to that question. I thought I did, but now I’m really not sure. I don’t know why I started watching  A Serbian Film , I don’t know why I didn’t stop until it was over ,  I don’t know why I’m writing about it now, and I don’t know what I would have done with those ninety minutes if I had a different career which didn’t compel me to do these things.

The more prevalent question is why each time I realized that I was making a mistake did I still turn the thing back on?

A Serbian Film (2010) Review and Plot Summary

Perhaps it was morbid curiosity or even some misplaced sense of professional pride. I could make a case for both of those, and I probably should. What I couldn’t make a case for is  A Serbian Film  being worth it.

I know for a definitive fact that not a single second or frame in that hour and a half could be deemed as valuable to anything. Not to the medium, to genre fans, to the human race in general – not in any conceivable way. I cannot fathom a single justifiable reason for  A Serbian Film ’s continued existence. But I watched it all. I suppose the only explanation is that there really is something wrong with me.

A Serbian Film  is the first feature-length production from Serbian director Srdjan Spasojevic . While I would never elect to attack the man personally, questions must be raised about his character.

There is shit on display here that transcends any kind of depravity I’ve ever seen in filmmaking before, and I say that as someone who sat through all three Human Centipede movies (and even kind of enjoyed the first one).

The only thing more horrifying than the fact I saw A Serbian Film is that I was able to see it in the first place; that someone actually thought of it and committed it to film. There have been war crimes tribunals based on less atrocious acts.

Speaking of which, Spasojevic would have you believe that A Serbian   Film  is actually a political allegory on the sad state of post-Milosevic Serbian society, and the condition of the movie industry within that nation.

Even the title is, supposedly, “A metaphor for our national cinema – boring, predictable and altogether unintentionally hilarious”. I don’t believe this is true. That this man believes hilarity exists within or indeed anywhere near  A Serbian Film  is particularly telling. I think Srdjan Spasojevic is confused. I don’t think he knows why his film exists any more than I do.

There is undoubtedly room in this medium for tackling morally and ethically questionable topics in the pursuit of artistic commentary, but you can’t just say that’s what you’re doing. If you can’t identify what the work is a criticism of, it isn’t a criticism of anything.

Beating a dead horse in the fervent hope that its twitching carcass will offer some semblance of life isn’t commenting; it’s just battering a dead animal. A Serbian Film is a foul, stinking corpse of a movie, and Spasojevic is kicking the shit out of it.

But for what? There’s no point to any of it, no message or moral. He isn’t even kicking with any finesse. It’s just thoughtless, artless stamping for no purpose other than being able to turn to the stunned onlookers, arms outstretched, drenched in offal.

https://youtu.be/ddwrbcMmzlc?si=NKb3DbyERJ4OTN0T

Final Thoughts on A Serbian Film

I don’t want to go into too much detail about any of the events which transpire within because I feel that doing so would directly lower my worth as a human being. But, a brief plot synopsis is a necessary evil, so here it is: Miloš is a middle-aged sort-of-retired porn star with a perplexingly good-looking wife and a young son who he’s struggling to provide for.

In the interest of catching a clean break and living happily ever after, he accepts one last job in the form of (and I have never used a term as loosely in my life) an “art film”. The guy behind this project is a self-styled auteur named Vukmir (who is definitely not an approximation of any other Serbian directors, honestly), and his art project is, in fact, a child exploitation movie.

Of course, Miloš declares he wants absolutely no part in this, and subsequently finds himself waking up three days later to footage of his various escapades within the previous fifty-two hours. What follows from there is Miloš’ variation of redemption and atonement for the actions committed by and against him during that missing time.

Conceptually, I can appreciate the idea of a porn star being an appropriate vehicle for telling a story about sexuality. People often forget that adult actors and actresses actually have lives away from their careers with the same familial responsibilities as the rest of us, and exploring how having sex with strangers for a living really impacts the stability of relationships and the intricacies of parenthood is something I could totally get on board with.

A Serbian Film  doesn’t do any of that. In fact, that Miloš is even a porn star at all is largely irrelevant. The various sexual horrors he is subjected to and personally carries out are not at all a commentary on his chosen career, but rather the result of him consuming some sex-based narcotic which is purportedly designed to make him aggressively aroused and suggestible.

Not because he’s an actor in adult films and sex is a fundamental part of his lifestyle, but because he’s a man with a dick he can put in places that he shouldn’t.

There is one scene in particular towards the end of  A Serbian Film , which I’m pretty sure was banned from the American release, and I can honestly say that I felt as low and disgusted watching it as I’ve ever felt in my life.

It is a scene that exists for no reason other than it was literally the worst, most horrifying thing that could have happened at the time. This scene is a precise summary of why I cannot respect or endorse A Serbian Film  in any way.

Its sole purpose is to push the boundaries of what is creatively and socially acceptable and use its startlingly sickening subject matter to lure people into spending their money and time on an absolutely worthless, toxic piece of garbage. I cannot stress enough that it shouldn’t exist.

There is a grim, polluted niche in filmmaking that celebrates controversy and humanity’s potential for evil in a way that has no purpose or intention other than making money off of our own stupidity.

A Serbian Film  epitomizes that. I am sickened and depressed by its existence and by the culture that supports it and provides an environment to house it. I cannot un-watch it, but I can advise people not to make the same mistake I did.

If I never give a single piece of advice again in my life, I want my final departing message to be this: you must never, ever watch A Serbian Film.

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A Serbian Film

An aging porn star agrees to participate in an "art film" in order to make a clean break from the business, only to discover that he has been drafted into making a pedophilia and necrophilia... Read all An aging porn star agrees to participate in an "art film" in order to make a clean break from the business, only to discover that he has been drafted into making a pedophilia and necrophilia themed snuff film. An aging porn star agrees to participate in an "art film" in order to make a clean break from the business, only to discover that he has been drafted into making a pedophilia and necrophilia themed snuff film.

• Srdjan Spasojevic
• Aleksandar Radivojevic
• Srdjan 'Zika' Todorovic
• Sergej Trifunovic
• Jelena Gavrilovic
• 673 User reviews
• 167 Critic reviews
• 1 win & 3 nominations

Top cast 32

• (as Srdan Todorovic)

• Jecina majka
• (as Carni Deric)
• Vaspitacica
• Jecina baka
• Prostitutka
• (as Natasa Miljus)
• Devojka u bazenu 1
• All cast & crew
• Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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Did you know

• Trivia The film has been banned in only 7 countries.
• Goofs When Milos drives back to Vukmir's mansion, the camera crew is reflected in the car.

Vukmir : [his final words] That's it, Milos. That's the cinema. That's film!

• Crazy credits End credits are in Croatian, except for the disclaimer and copyright notice, which are in Croatian and English.
• Alternate versions The US version is cut by approximately one minute to get an NC-17 rating.
• Connections Featured in Reaction & Review: A Serbian Film (2011)
• Soundtracks Balcan Sex God By Wikluh Sky

User reviews 673

• reelreviewsandrecommendations
• Jun 9, 2024
• Where could I find the fully uncensored version?
• Does this film have social commentary?
• What are the differences between the British BBFC 18 Version and the Uncensored Original Version?
• January 6, 2010 (Australia)
• Official Fan site
• Una película serbia
• Belgrade, Serbia
• Contra Film
• See more company credits at IMDbPro

Technical specs

• Runtime 1 hour 44 minutes
• Dolby Digital

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A Serbian Film Review

10 Dec 2010

A Serbian Film

This keeps dropping in lines like, “Ahh, a perfect Serbian family” (over a scene of rape, incest and murder) and briefly likens its Mephistophelean movie director to “someone you’d meet in the Hague” (i.e. a war criminal), suggesting there is specific national meaning in what is otherwise a remorseless, well-made, horrifying descent into personal hell. Whether its political element is spurious justification for a cynical exercise in attention-getting taboo-busting is down to the individual viewer — but it ought to be viewers, not censorship bodies, who make that decision.

Any purpose the film might have beyond ultra-shock is compromised because its notion of extreme art-porn as a symptom of societal apocalypse is well-worn from the mainstream likes of 8MM or Vacancy. Its worst atrocities — which include the rape of a new-born baby (less explicit in the BBFC-censored version) — are conceptually beyond the pale, but executed with a fakey glee (and obvious special effects) which put it closer in tone to The Toxic Avenger than, say, Videodrome or Lost Highway. That said, plenty of scenes here push various envelopes, and manage to be sick-making no matter how ridiculous they are. That baby-rapist is paid back when the hero, dosed up on horse Viagra, spears him through the eye-socket with his mighty erection, for instance, and the protagonist’s corrupt cop brother (Slobodan Bestic) pays a porn actress back for brushing him off by literally choking her with his dick.

Director/co-writer Srdjan Spasojevic gives the film a distinctive widescreen look and an impressive, slightly stylised use of dim lighting and art direction (the snuff sets look more like a Philippe Starck hotel than the usual reclaimed industrial site), which adds a certain distance that means the film isn’t quite the hateful ordeal its synopsis suggests it is. Srdjan Todorovic, suffering about as much as any leading man in the movies, gives a strong performance as Milos The Filthy Stud. Though the film features more than its share of abused women (and, hideously, children), its primary victim is the male lead, who is paid back for his ridiculous potency with repeated physical, mental and emotional rape.

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A serbian film, srpski film.

Directed by Srđan Spasojević

Not all films have a happy ending

Retired porn star Milos leads a normal family life trying to make ends meet. Presented with the opportunity of a lifetime to financially support his family for the rest of their lives, Milos must participate in one last mysterious film. From then on, Milos is drawn into a maelstrom of unbelievable cruelty and mayhem.

Srđan 'Žika' Todorović Sergej Trifunović Jelena Gavrilović Slobodan Beštić Katarina Žutić Anđela Nenadović Ana Sakić Lidija Pletl Lena Bogdanović Luka Mijatović Nenad Heraković Čarni Đerić Miodrag Krčmarik Tanja Divnić Marina Savić Nataša Miljuš Marijeta Goc Biljana Žurnić Jelena Mihić Dragana Jovanović Irena Korać Aleksandar Banjac Sanja Spasojević Goran Macura Mila Milošević

Director Director

Srđan Spasojević

Producer Producer

Writers writers.

Aleksandar Radivojević Srđan Spasojević

Editor Editor

Darko Simić

Cinematography Cinematography

Nemanja Jovanović

Assistant Director Asst. Director

Miroslav Stamatov

Additional Directing Add. Directing

Boriša Simović

Executive Producers Exec. Producers

Nikola Pantelić Dragoljub Vojnov

Lighting Lighting

Dragan Tenjović

Camera Operators Camera Operators

Pablo Ferro Živanović Miloš Kodemo Bojan Brbora Vladan Banović Stasa Dodocic Ivana Vladic

Additional Photography Add. Photography

Marko Stanojkovic Branislav Stojanović

Production Design Production Design

Nemanja Petrović

Art Direction Art Direction

Kosta Rakićević

Special Effects Special Effects

Danilo Dudić Petar Živković

Stunts Stunts

Zoran Nastić Milkica Bozic

Composer Composer

Sound sound.

Miloš Drobnjaković Nikola Živković Aleksandar Protić Aleksandar Perišić Đorđe Đurović

Costume Design Costume Design

Jasmina Sanader

Makeup Makeup

Miroslav Lakobrija Dubravka Bušatlija

Contra Film

Primary Language

Spoken languages.

Serbian Swedish English

Releases by Date

15 mar 2010, 10 sep 2010, 14 oct 2010, theatrical limited, 10 dec 2010, 16 jun 2010, 01 oct 2010, 13 may 2011, 18 oct 2011, 19 jan 2012, 03 jan 2011, 14 mar 2012, releases by country.

• Premiere 18 L'Étrange Festival
• Theatrical 18

Netherlands

• Theatrical 16
• Physical 16 DVD, Blu ray

Serbia and Montenegro

• Premiere 18 Sitges Film Festival
• Theatrical limited 18
• Physical 18 DVD / Blu-ray
• Premiere NC-17 South by Southwest Film Festival
• Theatrical NC-17

104 mins   More at IMDb TMDb Report this page

Popular reviews

Review by Silent J ★ 34

I watched this on the recommendation of a friend who said this was one of his favorite films.

I should probably get new friends.

Review by DirkH ★ 77

OH MY GOD, LOOK AT HOW CONTROVERSIAL I AM!!!!!!

.......self indulgent garbage......

Review by ‮🐌‬ ½ 60

some men make movies that are basically straight up torture porn with rape & literal pedophilia & excuse it as “shock value” um no you just exposed your pedophilic rape fantasies & it was disgusting. JAIL!

Review by Eli Hayes ★★★½ 32

This film really only has one problem, but unfortunately for Srdjan Spasojevic, it's a huge problem. Underneath all of the violence and depravity and insanity, there is a film with an important message to send about not only the porn industry, but the entertainment industry in general, how far some individuals are willing to go for cash in this money-driven world that we have created, and general (in)human wickedness/perversion. Nonetheless, that's not what this film is going to be remembered for, and that's its biggest flaw. It dives so deeply into its own transgressive, grotesque underworld that most people aren't going to be able to view this film for its message... only for its violence. And that's not good. That's…

Review by Jordan James Brooks ½ 10

I feel like I need to be arrested for watching this.

Review by amaya ★ 25

stop it. get some help

Review by Vanessa ★ 4

How I possibly thought jumping from a Wes Anderson marathon to this would be a good idea is beyond me.

Review by Willfarquaad ½ 7

Gave this 1/2 star because letterboxd dont scale 0's

Review by 🎃🔥Mr. Like🔥🎃 ½ 6

This review may contain spoilers. I can handle the truth.

Rotten Tomatoes: 47% IMDb: 5.1

Release Date : 15 March 2010 Distributor : Contra Film Budget : Unknown Worldwide Gross : Unknown Total Film Awards : 1

Vukmir : "Right hand is the sex center in any man, It's a direct line between your brain and cock. Ever since your childhood. Your hand is special for it has jerked such a special cock. Milos, it's an honor to shake a hand to such an artist of fuck. Pornography is art, but people can't see that!"

SYNOPSIS: An aging porn star agrees to participate in an "art film" in order to make a clean break from the business, only to discover that he has been drafted into making a pedophilia and necrophilia themed snuff film.

Review by ayad 3

movies were a mistake

Review by PopcornIdeology ½ 28

Me: “What do you want to watch?”

Dad: “I don’t know. How about that weird porn movie you told me about awhile ago?”

*silence* Me: “Oh Boogie Nights?” Dad: “No.” Me: “Red Rocket? I think the main character is a pornstar.” Dad: “No, I think it’s called A Serbian Movie.” *silence*

* more silence*

Me: “Uh, okay.”

DAVID SPADE 1

Review by Edgar Cochran ✝️ ★★★★½ 123

Banned in Spain, Germany, Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia, Singapore, and Norway, and temporarily in Brazil until 2012, holding the record of requiring 19 minutes of cut footage in order for the film to have an MPAA rating of NC-17 in the United States, having been investigated by the Serbian state to ensure that crimes against protection of minors and sexual morals were not actually performed for the film, having one of the greatest standard deviations I have statistically witnessed in a distribution of ratings over 10 for a single film, Srpski Film is a mouthful. According to a friendship of mine, the movie should be used as a psychological experiment in order to partially determine the sanity of a person,…

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A Serbian Film (2010)

February 25, 2020 Gravereviewer 1 Comment

A Serbian Film (2010) Written By: SP Edited By: Grave Reviews Staff

Film information

Director: Srđan Spasojević, Serbia, Yugoslavia Producers: Srđan Spasojević, Dragoljub Vojnov Screenplay writers: Aleksandar Radivojević, Srđan Spasojević Date Released: June 11, 2010

Cast: Srđan Todorović as Miloš Sergej Trifunović as Vukmir Jelena Gavrilović as Marija Slobodan Beštić as Marko Katarina Žutić as Lejla Anđela Nenadović as Jeca

Rating = 2/5 Graves

***May contain some spoilers***

A Serbian Film (2010) follows the story of Milos, an ex-pornstar who is struggling to support his wife and six-year old son, Petar. During his prime, Milos was well-known for his skills on set which included his impeccable stamina and his ability to maintain an erection long after ejaculation. For this reason, Milos is seen as the ideal candidate for a new wave of “artistic” pornography. A man named Vulkmir offers him a starring role in an ambiguous film. Vulkmir does not disclose much information about the subject matter of the film, however, he offers Milos an enticing amount of money that Milos simply cannot refuse. After signing a contract and agreeing to the ambiguous terms and conditions, Milos finds himself unable to escape from a spiraling downfall of pain, misery and debauchery. He is drugged and forced to partake in horribly traumatizing and unspeakable sexual acts.

Gore Factor

A Serbian Film (2010) is probably one of the most notorious films in the horror community due to its over-the-top and shockingly disturbing gore scenes. It is known for mixing sex with torture and death. Its shock value stems primarily from the taboo subject matters that it deals with. Some of these taboo themes include rape, pedophilia, incest and necrophilia. It is for this reason that A Serbian film has been banned in several countries and is often considered the most disturbing horror flicks out there. Although the gore and special effects are extremely well done, the entwining of sex and death is what truly makes this film stand out.

Some infamous scenes include a drugged-up Milos violently penetrating a woman from behind as he begins to slap her. Soon after, the slaps turn into punches and finally, when Milos is handed a machete, he hacks off the woman’s head while continuing to have sex with her headless corpse.

Another scene that stands out is the infamous “newborn porn.” And yes, this is exactly what it sounds like. Immediately after a baby is expelled from an unknown woman’s vagina, the newborn is taken from her and raped by a large, brutish looking man. Thankfully, this scene is not as graphic as some of the other gore scenes. It is shot with shady camera work and lighting that is meant to imitate a snuff film . It is much rather the implication of what is being done rather than the actual gore that renders this scene so disturbing.

Finally, as the film comes to an end, Milos is made to blindly have sex with two lifeless bodies whose identities are hidden beneath a sheet. He begins to have sex with the unknown bodies, swapping from one to the other when he discovers that the bodies are none other than his wife and 6-year-old son, Petar. The helpless victims wake up and realize what is happening. Milos, in a fit of rage, goes on a rampage killing everyone he can get his hands on. He finishes off one of the crew members by ramming his rock-hard, erect penis into the man’s empty eye-socket.

The Grave Review

A Serbian Film (2010) is undoubtedly a very well-made and entertaining film with great acting and realistic special effects. It is quite unique in its taboo themes, themes that not many filmmakers would dare to explore. However, the hype of this film being “the most disturbing horror film” is a bit of an exaggeration. The use of gore and sex as the primary shock factor is slightly overused and, at times, feels a little bit redundant.

It is somewhat hard to rate this film because of its uniqueness. It is not the average movie that you can pick out to watch on a family movie night. It deals with some very upsetting themes that may trigger certain people. If you are sensitive to rape, pedophilia, incest or necrophilia, this may not be the movie for you. However, if you think that you can get through this one with no problem, then it is highly recommended. There’s no doubt that you won’t have a fun time with this one!

For the foregoing reasons, Grave Reviews gives A Serbian Film (2010) two graves out of five grave reviews.

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You may also like our review of the film, Nekromantik .

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is a surreal black and white horror film that takes capture and extreme torture to a new level that would make anyone sick to their stomach. The film had a limited theatrical release that had critics feeling mixed reviews. Many felt the film was expertly edited and created but in the end isn’t worth watching due to the volatile plot.  

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4 Reasons Why “A Serbian Film” is a Great Movie

Dubbed one the most disgusting movies of all times on numerous occasions, it’s really easy to just assume that “A Serbian Film” has no value other than shock value and it’s just placed in the movie industry for horror and gore enthusiasts. People who watched the movie or have heard of it are immediately turned off by its gore scenes and images.

Its similarity with “Salo” or “120 Days of Sodom” is familiar and uses the same principle, but the art and aesthetics, and also the way it represents the time and events of Serbia after the Yugoslav wars, is unique. It tells the story in its own original way. Most people are put off by its explicit scenes, but if we give it a different kind of perspective other than just being repulsed, we can truly see its art.

The opening shot of the film sets the atmosphere of the film. It starts in an alley and then gradually reveals sex scenes and gives you a hint about what comes next. A boy watches a porn film that includes his father, and then caught by his parents as they teach him about “the birds and the bees” in an innocent way for a child to understand.

We can see that despite the his father’s past (being a porn star), we have a typical loving family. But shadows of the past come to haunt our protagonist Milosh and he hesitantly accepts an offer to take part in a porn movie from suspicious people from a porn industry to provide for his family. Things then get a lot darker for the family.

1. The symbolism of the characters

The gore images we saw and the scenes that disturbed us the most aren’t placed there just for the shock value. The director and writer of the movie wanted to make a statement about Serbs, their politics, and their livelihood after the Yugoslav Wars in the 90s.

It was a devastating time for the country, a time ruled by vicious and cruel politicians. They are represented by the man in suit who simply watches from a distance and has little movie time, just like in real life. We may think we get the bigger picture in politics, but there are so many things going on behind than what is served to us.

Their actions are carried out by a man with a vision who wants to make an art film that includes violence and degradation toward women and children. This character is also a psychologist, and as a psychologist he doesn’t have the core moral values and is fascinated by violence, incest, murder and animal instincts. He is helped by two guys wearing police uniforms and those uniforms are supposed to serve and protect the people, and not take part in the horrors that are bestowed on the women and children.

More importantly, the role of the mother is devalued and women are seen as whores. A woman is thought to have betrayed her husband, who was a war veteran, and because of that, she is seen as a widow, and is not considered to have a major and vital role in the family. It shows us that women are still seen through the lenses of conservatism and in general are seen as objects. Milos’s friend and coworker doesn’t even have a chance at not being objectified.

In a way, she has accepted the fact that she will be seen as an object, so she might as well go at it and make a profit from it. The daughter of the war veteran and dead mother doesn’t even have the potential for a good future. She is thought to be cursed from the womb, showing us the lack of hope placed on the Serbian youth, who are cursed and damned from birth.

Another female role we have is the doctor who uses medicine to help turn the main character into something savage and inhumane. In this film, professions with a purpose to help people are corrupt and are used to strip them of their dignity and rationality in the most unethical ways.

After the Yugoslav Wars, the former countries in this union are disoriented and lost. What seemed to be a strong union that strongly pushed the values of socialism and communism is suddenly in a vacuum and has to decide their identity and moral values.

The characters incorporated in the movie also represent the corruptness of the system in the most rotten way. The orphanage as an institute, and the grandmother who encourages Milos to have his way with her granddaughter (a daughter of a war veteran), showcases the lack of care and neglect that is placed on Serbian youth.

2. The phallic symbol

Milos is seen as a strong male due to the size of his penis, and the endurance and greatness of his performance. It represents power and the movie centers around the potential of what that power can become. The phallus, according to French psychoanalyst Lacan, is a symbol of vital power, a symbol of law; it is something we yearn for. But the phallus is unattainable; nobody has a large enough phallus, meaning nobody is omnipotent.

That is why the psychologist as well as the director want to use Milos’ phallus in their movie; it’s nothing like they’ve seen before in the industry. The director is trying to become omnipotent using Milos’ phallus; he sees it and wants to use the potential of its great power. He has given up to instincts and tries to get rid of the superego. All the censorships, rules and laws have no meaning for him and the shaping of Serbian youth.

What is more terrifying is that he truly believes in his motives and his twisted Freudian vision. He’s found his tool to distribute his laws and vision through the potential power of Milos’ great phallus. Unfortunately, when that potential power is governed by the wrong people, it can lead to devastating events. And it did. It led the main character into an unimaginable and horrifying experience, it crippled him emotionally, and it put his family through the ordeal.

3. Deeper meaning of the gore scenes

The disturbing imagery and its intensity is strategically and gradually well placed throughout the film. As we walk through this masterfully-made movie, our suspense levels rise higher and higher, and despite the fact that only the thought of what is placed before our eyes can easily disturb us, we want to see more. But why didn’t the director choose the similar concept of “Salo” or “120 Days of Sodom”?

Well, in Japan after World War II, artists and people coped with the trauma through Butoh – a form of theatre using grotesque imagery. It can be seen manifested in horror films as well. It explores the horrible possibilities that man is capable of. We can assume that the brilliance of the movie lies in using this technique to express deeper emotions after the Yugoslav Wars in the 90s. Behind those scenes we can almost hear the statements and deeper emotions of the director.

The scenes and the characters are rotten to the core. They represent the lowest of the low situations and events in the country, like brothers fantasizing about the other’s wife, being envious of the life of the other brother, turning on each other and betraying themselves.

Usually we are used to seeing happy family lives and relationships, and their conflict is sorted out by the end of the movie, which gives us the satisfaction of a solved conflict and/or problem. But we don’t get that satisfaction and relief in the end. Instead we get a closer look at the twisted and perverted nature of Milos’s brother.

The loving and warm family that Milos created with his wife is destroyed with the help from his own brother. It seems that even the family and brotherly love have no value and doesn’t exist, but rather is a part of a corrupted system. It’s as if it has no chance in the aftermath from the war.

Even the slightest glimpse of hope and love, the warmth, the beauty and the youth of family and its values are slowly fading away and working their way into the corruptness and the terribly established system. That is why maybe the horror and disgust from the director’s own feelings are placed in the utmost disturbing and horrifying scenes of gore, rape, incest, and murder.

4. In the end, what does it all mean?

The movie suggests the ideas and symbolism of a non-functioning government, and what the years of bad governing has done to its people. The explicit and disturbing scenes are supposed to open our eyes and help us see what is done behind closed curtains. We certainly do not like it, but it’s there, just like in politics. We don’t always see what’s done, but we buy the image and promises of the political parties. It may seem very subtle to the public but the consequences are direct to the people.

However, the director suggests that the actions didn’t just fall out of thin air. The scene where the grandmother is encouraging Milos to engage in an act with her granddaughter represents the mentality of the people and the generations before Milos, thus telling us where the root of the problem is.

Unlike “120 Days of Sodom” where in the end it seems promising and justice will prevail, it doesn’t seem that way in “A Serbian Film”. Maybe the situation in the Balkans and particularly Serbia will stay as it always has and will always be that way, thus the title “A Serbian Film”. Yes, Milos did have his revenge, but at what cause? The end seems a bit discouraging and pessimistic. The family is ruined in the most horrific way and the man in the suit continues on as the true director of the film.

Author Bio: Elena is a recently graduated psychology student and local radio host. She is also a coffee junkie and cat lover.

13 Replies to “4 Reasons Why “A Serbian Film” is a Great Movie”

[…] By Elena Chapkanovska […]

Great write up!

The Serbian film may not be as deep as you see it, but it’s definitely a very creative film and, in general, an excellent satire on the movie itself.

Is not a great movie it’s a complete piece of crap, however it is a great statement against censorship which is why it was made in the first place, that doesn’t mean is good as a movie

doesn’t matter how hard you try, no way you can sell me on this.

I’m from Serbia and I also think ‘Serbian film’ is a ‘wannabe-david-lynch’ + ‘shock-me-as-much-as-you-can’ kinda crap. For those interested in Serbian cinema, try these: by Slobodan Sijan: – Who’s Singin’ Over There? (1980) – The Marathon Family (1982) by Srdjan Dragojevic – We Are Not Angels (1992) – Pretty Village, Pretty Flame (1996) by Aleksandar Petrovic – I Even Met Happy Gypsies (1967) by Zivojin Pavlovic – When I Am Dead and Gone (1967) any film by Dusan Makavejev… and many, many more.

To enjoy greatest serbian actor Bata Stojkovic, take a look at – The Elusive Summer of ’68 (1984) – The Balkan Spy (1984)

Those people left great trail in serbian culture and world cinema and are much more important than better known directors including Kusturica. Documentary ‘Cinema Komunisto’ tells very good story about film industry in ex-Yugoslavia.

Thank you so much. This is precisely what we need here. It is a shame that I (like many) have not experienced Serbian cinema beyond this lame splatterfest. I will absolutely seek these out!

and is not………………………

The act of making any movie inherently gives us some data on the human condition, however trivial it may be. ,Other than that I agree. Only viewed the film once though.

it’s lovely how this movie devides people into people who hated it and people who loved it. i loved it. i don’t know if it’s really that deep after all, but actors, photography, music etc are too good to be a simple made-for-shock movie imo. honestly i don’t care, i’m just a fan on extreme movies and this is a real gem of the extreme cinematography

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Review: ‘A Serbian Film’ Is Strictly For The Disturbed

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“A Serbian Film” centers on Milos, a male porn star who retired at the top of his profession. Though his home life is happy, with a young son and a beautiful, supportive wife, Milos wanders in and out of a daily routine, emasculated by his wife’s productivity and the continued work of his peers. The fact that money is drying up is only intensified by his brother: it’s through his nightstick, gun, and police uniform that he makes Milos feel like a potential cuckold.

Content-related cuts make little sense in this case, as there’s a foreboding air that contaminates the whole of “A Serbian Film,” bound to be a difficult sit for anyone with even the loosest set of morals. The violence, shown in escalating graphic detail and often gruesomely sexualized, doesn’t have the same effect as the shock and anger that Milos displays – Srdjan Todorovic is immensely believable as a man experiencing, and in some cases causing, the most inhuman forms of violation. “A Serbian Film,” polished and provocative enough to carry an undeniable weight, closes on a shot that isn’t explicit, but establishes that what we’ve seen is merely a brief episode in an ongoing cycle of violence. It’s the suggestion that there can be no end to this depravity, the sickening part being that, as conventionally as possible, it is a punch line. For those with the stomach… [B] For everyone else… [F]

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