Maratonci trce pocasni krug

The Serbs say this is the best Serbian film ever made, which I think underestimates it -- it may be the best film anyone made in the 1980s. Released in 1982, when Yugoslavia was a functioning state, rather than international shorthand for murder and genocide, it casts a baleful look backward that becomes, in the light of all the subsequent blood, almost unbearably poignant and prophetic. It would be too much if it weren't constantly, brutally laugh-out-loud funny -- funny even in subtitles, funny as slapstick and deeply classically comic at the same time.

It is set in the 1930s in a backwater small town in Serbia, where the Topalovic family has its funeral home.. Topalovic women "fade away like flowers" immediately after bearing a boy while the men live on and on -- creating the Marathon reference in the title. In an effervescent scene we meet six generations of Topalovic men, each one of whom mercilessly beats and bullies the younger ones. The film centers on the youngest, the tall and none-too-bright Mirko, lover of movies and Cristina, piano player at the town's movie house and daughter of the local gangster Billy Python, who supplies the Topalovic home with used coffins dug up and emptied of their previous occupants.

The action revolves around three events: the death of the very oldest Topalovic, the desire of Mirko's imbecilic, cowardly and conniving father Lucky to break up the Mirko-Cristina affair and -- and this is resoundingly delicious -- the arrival of sound film in the town, putting Cristina out of a job.

The writer, Dusan Kovacevic adapted the script from his own play, and director Slobodan Sijan gets an amazingly good ensemble cast of actors to run the machinery in high gear, flat out. It starts dark and gets darker with crematorium jokes ("the wave of the future"), vintage silent Yugoslav film commercials and clips, and slides, laughing more and more wildly, into violence that flies out of control The tie to what happened to Serbia only a few years later spins the movie up another level. That the tie is not accidental is underlined by the opening sequence -- newsreel footage of the assassination in France of the King of Serbia in the early 20s. The wonderful musical theme, raucous and melancholy at the same time is by Zoran Simjanovic. You don't know me, but do yourself a favor and see this one.

With no hard feelings, because there are many great films in the history, but this one should be absolute No.1 Although I regret almost everyday for I was born in this part of Europe, I am blessed to be a native speaker, so I can enjoy movies like this completely. I watched this masterpiece more than 300 times. Characters from this movie are the true heroes in all ex-Yu countries, scenes and comments from this movie you can see in everyday life, on TV, hear on radio stations, because each and every sentence from this movie became legendary. Thanks to all the legends who made this movie, hope they rest in peace, cause unfortunately most of them passed away.... I am not sure when we will have a bunch of such extraordinary actors again...

Few Serbian films stand up to the standards expected from the Western cinema, but this one cannot be overpraised: everything that's already been said here is true, and then some! A masterpiece in the purest sense of the word.

If re-watchability of a film is one of its major qualities, than this film beats any other that I know of: you can watch it dozens and dozens of time without ever getting bored - it's so funny& profound at the same time.

If you're a Serb, than you certainly already know this film by heart: if you are not, and are intrigued by this praise= by all means try to find it. I hope there is a good translation of its dialogue somewhere, because a lot depends on a quality rendition of the nuances of the actors' words.

I guess there is no any younger Serb who does not know at least one sentence from this movie. This movie is simply the cult. Dialogs and acting are so great that many phrases from this movie are already became part of modern serbian language.

Kovacevic's script is even better then original play. He and that entire generation of actors and moviemakers, have influenced our lives and perception so greatly. The movie is also very educational, it pictures time and mentality of small serbian town during 1930's, better then any other movie.

And finally whole story just never fades away: five generations of Topalovic's are 'crying' because their oldest member and founder of their funeral company, 156 year old Pantelija, has died...

I just worship this movie!

This movie has witty dialogue that is memorized in its entirety by many fans across the Balkan region. While much might be lost in translation, this movie is such a hit, artistically and such a gem of a cult classic, that it is well worth a watch for anyone interested in the Serbian and Balkan culture. It is also extremely original, but since you need to understand a bit about the mentality of the people whom it mocks some of the best parts might go over your head. You should see it nevertheless.