Zeit der Gewalt

I attended the North American premiere of this film at the Seattle International Film Festival in 1989. It remains 20 years later as one of my fondest cinematic experiences.

This is film making at its best. An epic with intensely drawn characters and exceptionally memorable scenes. Essentially, the Bulgarian Lawrence of Arabia and a film worthy of comparison to Lean's masterpiece.

Many of the comments about this film are from Bulgarians, and I cannot personalize the film in the same manner that they have done so. To me, as an American, the film explored the issue of why Christianity and Islam were in inherent conflict when they are in many respects similar. When I saw the film in 1989 this was purely an interesting intellectual question. After 9/11 the film has taken on a whole new dimension for me. Clearly with 9/11, the wars that have followed and the wave of Islamic terrorism across the globe, the issue remains well worth exploring.

If anyone out there can tell me how to get a copy of the film, please email me.

The movie is indeed one of the biggest Bulgarian classics. As they say, if you're Bulgarian, you must have watched it. And if your heart doesn't tremble when you watch it, you're not a Bulgarian.

On the other hand, I like very much one quote from one of its resumes: "The film is painted on a large, sweeping canvas, with many characters and subplots, all cleverly woven into a single story. And, surprisingly, this isn't a "vile Turk" story. Director Ludmil Staikov has much more ambitious goals, including an examination of the power of religion and of the destructiveness of violence and fanaticism. Not all of the Christians are good, nor all of the Muslims bad." And I agree with this, the movie is not black and white - neither in real colour, nor in character's colour. Even the "most evil characters" have their inner struggles and their reasons, while even the "nicest characters" have their flaws and weaknesses. Like all human beings...

So, the script is great, the acting is great, the music is touching, the scenery is magnificent - no wonder this is one of the very few Bulgarian movies (if not the only one), which have foreign subtitles in its DVD set.

P.S. Indeed, the movie is definitely not for minors, not only because of the scenes of violence, but also because they would hardly understand its true meaning.

This, shown also in Cannes (Un certain regard), film is about personal and group tragedy. It perplexes and unfolds, complicates and simplifies the main character's contradictory points of view.

It is a very intensive story about important historical events happened 3 centuries ago and barely known to people today. It also reveals forgotten personal values in modern life like honor, self-conscious, independence, deep love.

It is an epic film showing beautiful feelings weaved into a political and religious drama.

It is time of violence. Time of blood and vengeance. Time when life doesn't matter but only the last thing left: People's faith.

This is one of the most sad movies on all time. Unfortunately you have to be Bulgarian to understand how sad the movie is. Or at least - you have to be keen in The Bolkans history and what the Bulgarian people have gone through. I am sorry to disappoint the writer of some of the comments about the movie - but in fact - it does show what exactly the Turkish army have done with the young bulgarians. Taking small children and making them a fanatic killers who are absolutely trust to the Turkish emperor has been done for over hundred of years. And the movie shows the whole pain and drama of the Bulgarian families who lost their children.

As a Serb, I always wonder why my country never made any movie about islamisation of Balkans through 14-20 century. Then I stumble on this Bulgarian epic. For anyone who want to explore darkest moments from history of Bulgarians, Serbs, Greeks, Armenians, Assyrians & other nonmuslim nations under Turkish government, this is a must see film. But the best thing in this movie is solution which he offers. You begin to understand it in last quarter of movie when things begins to unravel. And at least for me, priest in this movie is one of the best clerics I ever watch. I strongly recommend it to everyone except to those stubborn (crypto)jihadist, who may get sick from it (which can be actually good reason for them to watch), and who think that Turkish occupation is second best thing in world history.