Ein Serbischer Film

I've written a book and some articles about film censorship, so given the controversy looming around this particular film, and its highly interesting release history in the UK (read wikipedia for more), I got my hands on a pre-release uncensored copy. What's very interesting is that apart from some suggestive shots hinting at pedophilia and the extension of the film's most gruesome, unforgettable scene, it's all there, only left to the imagination - leaving me with the question I've come up with whenever confronted with such a case: if censorship leaves certain aspects to the spectator's imagination, isn't the effect even more stimulating?

Yes, 'A Serbian Film' undoubtedly runs for the title of the yuckiest film ever. Yes, it's definitely reveling in the very muck it pretends to criticize, i.e. the complete and total moral decay of our times. I would have very much favored an incorporation of the (presumably Western) consumers of the kind of pornography it deals with, for that remains the film's weakest aspect: the social commentary is quite accurate, but not sufficiently explored.

And yet, 'A Serbian Film' is still unmistakably a piece of art. The technical specs are top-notch for such a limited budget. The acting, especially Sergej Trifunovic as psychiatrist-turned-porn producer Vukmir, is nothing short of (disturbingly) wonderful. And most important of all: the underlying anger appears to be real. I was in Serbia for a festival last year (prior to this film's release), and cannot help but remember how similar some opinions and stories I heard were to the views expressed in this film. That being said, I completely understand why Serbs were outraged at this film. Being born in Romania, which has an equal share of ethical bankruptcy, I must admit that if this had been made in Romania, and called 'A Romanian Film', I would be very very mad.

This is one of those rare pieces of celluloid which will most likely not allow for any neutral point of view, like 'Mondo Can(nibal)e', or Pasolini's 'Salo', or the collected films of Catherine Breillat. The difference for me is that I usually dislike films of this nature because of their wantonly exploitative nature serving no narrative purpose; that purpose, however, exists in 'A Serbian Film', making it all the more disturbing and relevant.

I will just right off the bat state that you, quite simply, cannot unwatch this movie. It's important that everyone realizes that there is no unringing this bell. You will almost certainly wish you could unsee it, and if not or worse, you enjoyed it, you need to be on a government list available to the public. It goes from shady, to dark, to disturbing, to depraved. But then it gets so far beyond that that you may actually find yourself trying to turn it off only to realize it's too late and you forever know what happened in the.. climax... (surely there has to be a better word). Since 2013 when I saw it, I've become a father and eventual single parent to a son. I couldn't imagine seeing this again.

I will say though, that if you are someone who likes really pushing your comfort level and challenging your psyche with incredibly difficult material, then this should be on your list, because after you survive this, you can watch slightly less disturbing, but far better films with the knowledge that at least what you're watching isn't A Serbian Film. In all seriousness, the absolute summit of Mt Heinous here is one of those things that is so horrible we collectively just do not ever think about it for the sake of our own wellbeing. I said on a reddit post that knowing the name of this movie is a legitimate infohazard. I believe that is a completely true statement.

Best of luck if you dare take this film on. I wish I could unsee it, but I also know that I can handle any other work of fiction for having been naively self-inflicted with this... thing.

This movie has no message, no meaning, nothing. You might think it tells the dark side of porn or psychos in the deep web but that's not the way to tell a story. Explicitly showing vile and deprived acts of pedophilia and necrophilia will not make the movie artistic in any way shape or form... This so called "movie" is so disgusting that you can't but think the next scene that the movie is gonna slap you with and you completely forget any plot moments or character development in the process. I think the director needs t be investigated as of why he wanted and even came up with the idea of this movie...

Consider this not exactly as a review, but as a warning from a friend, in case you haven't seen this film yet and are curious about it. There are already many good reviews here dealing with the cinematographic, technical, cultural etc aspects of this film, so I won't add anything new there. This is not about the film, but about you, the potential viewer.

As many other reviewers, I've seen a significant amount of "extreme" or strong horror movies. Fear and shock are powerful emotions, and films are a safe and entertaining way of experiencing them. Some of them left a deep impression in me, sometimes for a few days, but that eventually vanishes.

With this film, it's a different story. It may leave permanent scars in your mind that will ruin some of the best experiences of your life, such as witnessing the birth of your child or lying in bed caressing a son's hair. Violent and obscene thoughts will keep intruding, and it's scary for me to think how much this can affect some people. If you think that you may belong to this group, don't risk it. There are many good films out there, and you may go on living without watching this one. Otherwise, go and watch it, but just remember that images can not be erased from your brain aftewards.

This is why this is so different. The fear does not come during the movie. It comes after. And it is too real.

I heard about this movie on YouTube it was someone saying don't watch it it's made to disturb you but I didn't listen and I feel like vomiting now please do not watch this just don't I'm literally crying right now.