Krvavi put

There have been so many films made about World War II that it takes something special to make an example like this one stand out.

In this case, the cooperation in the filming between the Norwegian actors and crew and the actors and crew from socialist Yugoslavia mirrors the theme, which the resulting production makes quite moving, of friendship between local resisters under the German occupation and Serbian prisoners brought into a strange new place.

The two user reviews mention most of the story being set indoors, but that was not the film I saw, which makes vivid use of the northern landscape in the glorious tradition of Scandinavian cinema in general, going back to the 1910s, especially in the magnificent scenes of the young prisoner Janko struggling to make his escape through rocks and rapids and fog and night.

There was also, I would argue with one of these reviewers, nothing routine about Blood Road.

It is a film that deserves to be more well known, and more talked about.

'Krvavi put' would have been a routine POW drama if it wasn't for the fact that it is a Yugoslav co-production with Norway. Such a strange alliance was formed in 1955 in order to bring the story of Yugoslav POWs who were sent to labor camps in Norway during WW2 to the big screen. This film combines Yugoslav and Norwegian cast and characters use their own languages which adds to the realism of this story. Obviously it was very tough for Yugoslav POWs and Norwegian patriots to communicate but still they found a way to help each other and organize random escape plots. However, all that is gained from the presentation of the language barrier is lost in terms of plotting and visual style. This film doesn't benefit from its Norwegian crew, the sets look generic and could have been shot anywhere in Europe.

Also, the whole deeper meaning and conflict of people being relocated from their natural habitat in Balkans to Scandinavia, is lost due to the fact that most of the film is set indoors.

Thus, 'Krvavi put' is for WW2 completists only, and it won't taint the glory of Anthony Mann's 'Heroes of Telemark'.

The concept was a good one. Perhaps showing how some Balkans would accustom to the Norwegian climate, which is ignored in favor of filming inside. The worst part is that 60% of the movie is just 2 people talking.