Budjenje iz mrtvih

Milos Radivojevic, a professor at the Faculty of dramatic art in Belgrade, helmed his 12th film after gaining recognition in film circles, with 7 festival wins and 5 nominations, including the 1970 Venice Film Festival's "Lino Miccichè" - First Feature Award for his film This Crazy World of Ours. The screenplay delved into deep, multi-layered psychological study, following the successful formula of Ingmar Bergman's films. The film deeply impacted the people of Yugoslavia, who were forever scarred by the injustice of NATO and the indiscriminate and relentless illegal bombardment by the forces of evil presenting themselves as saviors. When the film aired on TV, the writer and director Misa had to sleep in a park and be absent from his address for a while due to threats. However, his only fault was speaking the truth as he saw it.

The film's narrative unfolds during the initial stages of the NATO bombing in March 1999, set in Belgrade and a small Serbian town. Miki, a 40-year-old unsuccessful writer, disillusioned assistant professor, disheartened democrat, and former newspaper columnist, emerges from his grave to confront his past. He reconnects with his family, ailing father, friends, and former love, aiming to dispel illusions and rectify past mistakes within a span of 48 hours. His posthumous actions are driven by a desire to preserve the reputation of his community and heritage, rather than focusing on his own concerns.

Despite the haste and imperfections in his endeavors, Miki's conscience is clear as he finally takes decisive action after a lifetime of uncertainty. Ultimately, he retreats back to his peaceful grave, awaiting the end of a flawed world.

The Director of photography Radoslav Vladic together with the director and the art director, Nemanja Petrovic, after a large number of excellently shot works, decided to do a cinematography of a strange texture that loses its "color" during the film, only to "return" to it at the end for a reason. Black and white part evoked memories of Bergman's style again, yet Radivojevic infuses his own touch by emphasizing action over dialogue only. The experience remains exquisite even upon revisiting it after many years, although one aspect puzzled me - the use of fade outs in editing short scenes appeared rather amateurish.

Awakening from the Dead is very personal, enclosed and introverted testimony of the times passed...not so long ago. I think it took a great deal of resolution and personal courage to deliver such an uncompromising work, cause it's not exactly a stepping stone or lucrative project, imo...not that director of Radivojevic's caliber needs reasserting himself.

This film is basically an extension of famous Black Yugoslav wave several decades later. Hard film to analyze due to dream (or nightmare) like mood, non linear narration and surrealism, it deals with the concept of the dead being able to come back to life so they can tend to unfinished business and visit friends and family.

How exactly Mickey (the protagonist) met his death wasn't clear from the start nor were the circumstances surrounding it. He simply and literally gets up from his grave and goes back to his old life: places of youth, parental home, the flat where he had lived with his wife and son and hometown, to visit old childhood friends. However, this is just a vessel to tell a broader story and soon the symbolism gets abandoned in favor of central idea: social critique and personal reflections on the political and spiritual turmoil the country (Serbia) had faced during those times.

The amount of body waste (puking, urinating, defecating) - banality of being alive - in this film (including one very unpleasant dream sequence) is startling and in contrast with the supernatural premise. The film is talky, not shying away from loud ideology and politics. Central figure, next to Mickey is his father, or rather relationship between the two which is underlined and will ultimately define this film, like in classic tragedies.

Surely, Radivojevic, by the looks of it, felt obliged to make this film and tell his version of the events during the difficult times. Perhaps even - compelled. The cinematography is harsh, black and white, heavy and depressing, lest for Mickey's young family's nest, the only place of light and color. Personal and stripped just like the characters - quite literally. Nothing short of few rounds of applause for the cast, all of the actors involved did marvelous job, just breathtaking and top notch.

One thing has dawned on me afterward....this is A Serbian Film before ASF. Not the same genre, or the same league, but it does bear some strong resemblance as far as motives and conclusion goes. Definitely more serious though. Not an easy one to recommend to casual viewer and not an easy one to rate. But an interesting, if not exactly entertaining experience and sadly, underseen.