A Serbian Film.

“Do not see this film!” That is what the majority of reviews I read begged. Of course, having read that, I was then driven to see it even more. We all want what we’re not supposed to, right? After seeing the film, it’s safe to say that we are not supposed to have this one.

Tim Anderson of Blood-Disgusting claimed that watching A Serbian Film felt like “having his soul raped.” I thought this was a bit overdramatic. Surely it couldn’t be that bad, right? I’ve seen Antichrist, Martyrs, Inside, Aftermath, Cannibal Holocaust, and a good portion of Salò. I didn’t even second guess seeing this one. I should have listened to Mr. Anderson’s words though. “You don’t want to see Serbian Film. You just think you do.” Being a person who loves films that are repulsive in nature, laden with controversy, and push the boundaries of what is acceptable in cinema, I knew I had to see this one. I was wrong.

A Serbian Film tells the story of a former porn star who has retired and now lives a rather normal life with his wife and son. He has some financial issues and is offered an extremely well paying role and a chance to contribute to a new chapter in pornography. He has no idea what the film is going to be about but he discusses with his wife and signs the contract. What follows is a disgusting and disturbing trek into the sadistic mind of an insane director. That’s what the plot is but it also mirrors reality. Director Srdjan Spasojevic claims that the film is a social commentary, stating, “This is a diary of our own molestation by the Serbian government… It’s about the monolithic power of leaders who hypnotize you to do things you don’t want to do. You have to feel the violence to know what it’s about.” I know nothing about the Serbian government so the message I received from this film was… errr… don’t sign vague contracts? Yeah, that’s it.

The film is repulsive. I say that with a smile on my face. I do not recommend this to anyone at all. I will never watch it again. It left me feeling horrible and low and disturbed. It’s full of pedophilia, necrophilia, and pure sadism. It’s not enjoyable at all but in that same breath, it’s extremely well acted, written, and directed. The score fits the film extremely well and everything, though loathsome, is executed with artistic craft and precision.

Do not see it. You don’t want to. Trust me. No film has gotten under my skin and made me feel like this before. For that alone, I applaud it but that doesn’t mean I enjoyed it. I never thought I would ever do this but I simply cannot give this a star rating. Any rating I apply would greatly misinterpret what I want to convey. So, though I poked fun at him in the past for this quote, I will end my review with an extremely suitable quote from Roger Ebert’s review of The Human Centipede. His words are much more fitting for A Serbian Film. “I am required to award stars to movies I review. This time, I refuse to do it. The star rating system is unsuited to this film. Is the movie good? Is it bad? Does it matter? It is what it is and occupies a world where the stars don’t shine.”

 

---

Posted in Review.
Tags: 120 Days of Sodom, A Serbian Film, Dark, Disturbing, Film, Review., Roger Ebert, Sadistic, Salo