Lepa sela lepo gore

An extraordinary film in the best tradition of Serbian cinematography which itself has a proved track record stretching all the way back to and throughout the Yugoslav era, and the one that far outweights contributions from other former YU regions. It's a big shame that non-Serbian speaking viewers cannot completely appreciate the spark and the breeziness of the dialogue, although the English subtitled translation is generally quite dextrous and does the best it can, by and large getting it right amidst very strong (sometimes amusingly so) language. The acting too is superb - a brilliant episode by Petar Bozovic (Sloba), a great turn from the main lead (Dragan Bjelogrlic, as Milan) - and a truly moving performance by Zoran Cvijanovic (Speedy, the self proclaimed 'unreformed drug addict currently getting anti drug war group therapy'). All in all, a group of very talented actors of a certain generation at work, and a tough and gritty piece of film making, which manages to be ominously dark (the amusement park flashback sequences are hauntingly disturbing), but also nostalgic, clinically sobering and mordantly humorous at the same time, whilst steering clear of pro-Serbian propaganda, opting instead, as another user correctly pointed out, for a sort-of-pro-Yugoslav one.

Quite revealing is an exchange between Velja (Nikola Kojo) and Gvozden (Velimir-Bata Zivojinovic, a veteran and a favourite of Serbian cinema in a routinely poignant performance) - halfway through the film - a few succinct lines spoken there which may offer a clue as to what Yugoslavia as a country was - or might have been - all about; and why events that ensued during the nineties actually took place. Great stuff, still going strong ten years on.

As a man who was participating this conflict and I can only say that this movie more realistically pictures the war in Bosnia, then any other ever. Every time I watch this movie, it makes my heart beats so strong like I'm there again and revives all the memories forgotten long time ago. The whole story try's to explain this conflict from very essence of our people, covering various aspects of how different people have got involved in this war. Off course I can't really say that 'explanation' really exists, but if it does this is the place to start from. There are some exaggerated moments, but they are so rhythmically composed, that whole picture at the end becomes very strong and logical.

I believe many viewers won't be able to accept this story, but that's their problem, I guess... For those who are openminded, not prejudiced and ready to see the other side of medal (whatever it might be!), this can be a masterclass lesson not only about the war, but about the hidden human nature, that most of people never have a 'chance' to find in themselves, but it undoubtfully exists in each of us!

For people who liked this movie, I can even more recommend other Dragojevic's masterpiece - 'Rane' ('Wounds'), which is not a typical war movie, but from other side of view gives story never spoken so far.

Another post-yugoslav film defending the humanity of the Balkan peoples in the light of European accusations that they are innately violent and blood-thirsty. It attempts to prove instead, that War is larger than man! The War easily defeats him into a monster that plunders his own house and seeks the murder of his own best friends.

The film follows the fate of a group of besieged Serbian soldiers coping with their imminent death in parallel with the stories of how they ended up as soldiers. Yet it manages to do this in more light-hearted way than one would expect! Maybe because humour has been always the last resource of the downcast, at least in this part of the world!

Balkan people may not be murderous savages, but they are masters in fashioning absurdity, and they appreciate absurdity when it happens to them. In this, the film characters stand next to the director, even when facing their own deaths. Absurdity of a fine sort fills the entire film, one might guess what is expecting him from the witty title itself properly translated as "Beautiful villages burn beautifully". I am only afraid it might lead the audience to believe that Bosnian war is portrayed here with more artistic license or exaggeration than is the truth...

"Lepa sela lepo gore" shares the same theme as the bosnian film "No man's land" and ends (very movingly at that!) with the same message - an outsider is not in position to judge or qualify those who have lived through the conflict for their actions. He has no moral right neither to blame nor to forgive. While "No man's land" relates this issue directly to the habit of international media and western audiences to qualify sides in conflicts they do not understand, this film remains less committed to the contemporary. Instead it poses the same question to all of us as humans.

even if you were not on balkans - ex-Yugoslavia, this movie will 'hurt' you... and if you are from there - it just kills you, makes you feel pain, and laugh at the same time... it is about a great country that does not exist anymore - and maybe never existed, and about OGRE from the tunnel whick lives in each and every one of us. the subtitles (for USA) are not the first class.the translation could have been done better. anyway great movie.

I've seen it again today. I've seen it ten years ago when it first came out. On a 17x copied VHS bootleg tape, and now on DVD. Without going into details, I can only say this is one of the movies that I've seen many times and each time I see it it strikes me as the best of the best. It's multi layered and highly symbolic at times, due to that, the only ones to understand it fully are people that have a good understanding of the Balkan wars and/or the mentality of the characters. Some see it as pro-Serbian propaganda, other see it as anti-Serbian. And that alone makes it worth watching for me. Anyways, it's a chilling and wonderful masterpiece. Sad, bleak, darkly humorous at times but very very VERY good.