Ta divna splitska noc

"Ta divna splitska noc" belongs to the latest wave of Croatian movie-making, which has in the recent years kindled a new hope for the future of this cinematography. Following the trend, the film bursts with dark humor and honestly explores the painful sores of a frustrated post-war society.

The storyline encompasses three loosely connected episodes, all of them taking place simultaneously during the final hours of seeing the Old Year out in the coastal city of Split, Croatia. There is some Tarantinoesque moving back and forth through time, though rather conservative as compared to "Pulp Fiction" - each of the three stories runs its course from start to end, to be followed by another. Some of the characters meander throughout the movie, some are resurrected from their deaths as we step back in time, but each of the stories is narrated as a linear episode in itself.

The subject matter is deeply rooted in the dark side of the contemporary Croatian reality, focusing on dissipated war veterans, drug abuse, teenagers with no present or future, a general feeling of hopelessness. A war widow is having a torrid affair with her late husband's war buddy, who doesn't really care about her; a depressed American sailor is reluctantly fitted with a reluctant prostitute for the night; two teenagers consent to lose their virginity with each other, only to be faced with a lack of premises to do so. When the midnight finally arrives, the New Year brings forth not only the fireworks, but madness and violent death as well.

Mirko Pivcevic shot the film in a lavish black-and-white photography, bringing to mind Robert Krasker's Viennese sewers of "The Third Man". Split is an ancient Mediterranean city and most of its historic core is carved in weathered stone, so it looks great by day and sensational by night, given a proper lighting. The overall production highly surpasses the film's modest budget. There are some minor flaws, such as amateurish rantings of Coolio's drunken sailor buddies, but most of the actors are up to their tasks, and the direction by Arsen Anton Ostojic is inspired. I particularly enjoyed the vigorous performance of the eccentric local celebrity, Dino Dvornik, as the Singer.

How many people die at the same time, each day, globally? Probably millions. But, how many die in the same town, in the same building and at almost the same time, each day? Probably very few. Which makes this story quite special, and not only for that coincidental aspect of coincidental deaths. But, not all of the deaths are altogether coincidental.

Using that idea as its main premise, there are four main stories, all played out within the confines of a wonderfully, darkly photographed series of interconnected apartments, all self-contained within a larger all-encompassing structure that must be many hundreds of years old (a medieval ghetto, I understand) – and all on the Mediterranean coast.

The camera work is gripping (no pun intended), innovative and spectacular; it sweeps across and above the narrow alleys, through corridors, up stairs, through windows, and upon roofs as we see the gathering crowd attending a New Year's eve bash in the large central courtyard.

Intermingled with the crowd is Nike (Mladin Vulic), a tough, gruff womanizer always looking out for himself and on the hunt for drug money; and there is Maja (Marija Skaricic), a desperate loner and drug addict who's been cheated out of her next hit and is on the hunt for more – she needs a fix, like real bad; and then we come across Franky (Coolio), one of quartet of American sailors on the town, looking for action – specifically a prostitute for Franky who's been jilted by his fiancée back home; and finally, we see two teenage lovers who just want to get to a secluded spot for a bit of hanky-panky, and get more than they bargained for.

Avoiding conventional linearity of narrative structure, director Ostojic cuts back and forth in time as he interleaves each story, so that the denouement for each is shown to occur at or very near the stroke of midnight while the crowd dances and prances to greet the New Year – along with the obligatory fireworks display. It's all done with great panache; obviously Ostojic has studied some of the great directors, like Stanley Kubrick, Carol Reed and perhaps a touch of Tarantino. The sound track is particularly effective – even the inane, jazzed-up quasi-rap from The Singer (Dino Dvornik), the leader of the rock group on stage.

The acting is up to scratch for the most part; only the four American sailors come across as somewhat gauche (perhaps that was intentional) – although Coolio does a good job, overall. Of special mention are Vulic and Skaricic, the latter playing the frantically on-edge junkie perfectly, in my opinion. Not to be missed, also, is Dvornik as The Singer, playing a part that shows, once again, that all is never what it seems to be. Now throw in a mix of bit players to round off an exceptionally well produced, modern melodrama and one well worth your time to see.

Avoiding color completely, the mise-en-scene at night in black and white is suitably foreboding, even with the entire town alight with New Year festivities – reminiscent of those dark Vienna streets and inky-black shadows in The Third Man (1949). Director Ostojic knows well his art and his craft.

Recommended for all except kids.

June 28, 2012

Set in Split, Croatia during New Year's Eve, three stories run dealing with the underworld of drugs and prostitution. Nike is a pusher and a widow named Marija is looking to escape from all of her troubles.

A hooker, Maja, decides to have sex with an American sailor, Frankie(rapper Coolio), in trade for some heroin. This is the most tragic of the story lines and Coolio is surprisingly good in the part.

The third and only light hearted and sentimental plot involves a couple, Luka and Vandela searching all night for a place to have their first sexual encounter.

The only element connecting the three tales is an outdoor concert with fireworks in the background throughout the movie. It is shot in black and white, in keeping with the dark and pessimistic tone and ironic title. Director Arsen Ostojic shows great style in his first feature. A possible Croation Hitchcock in the making. He has definitely been influenced by Sir Alfred. My only caveat is to be prepared to be depressed by Mr. Ostojic's work.

This looked like another movie with people dying because they cannot cope with drugs, or with their emotional problems, or something. But it managed to keep my interest right up to the very last scene, and I am sorry I cannot tell you about it without spoiling it for you. I am glad I saw it, for the end left me wondering in a way I didn't expect at all.

As for the technical aspects: Most of the actors were fine. I liked the black and white photography, and the rather claustrophobic way the camera follows the characters along the alleys. That, along with the overhead shots, does a lot to convey their feelings of entrapment. The structure of the script is no big news, but it works fine for me, specially the way the end presents itself. Good show!

Well-photographed and well-acted movie with a good film score from a town I haven't yet been to. Not a good occasion to delve yourself into the beauty of the city - the dizzying atmosphere of Split on New Year's Eve it does make you feel, for as much as I can judge this, but given that it's nighttime, don't watch this movie just to make up for a missed chance to visit the town (visit the town instead, if possible). I wasn't disappointed at all by this lack of tourism promotion, though. The story really is the type that holds your interest very well, as pointed out before me, and it uses cleverly messed-up chronology to interweave lives in a city where foreigners might knock on your door with indecent requests and where drugs apparently are a problem - some minor or major side-branch of the big international drugs route to Western Europe leading through it, I suppose.

As to my vote: 7 out of 10 - well, it could have been 10 but for the ending. (Skip the rest of my comment if you're not interested in my otherwise non-spoiling remarks on it.) To paraphrase Hamlet, "Though this be a spoiled ending, yet there is method in't" - I can see the point made by the authors, and I wouldn't even say the ending's not fitting. If you have only seen this one instance of such an ending, it will work very well, I suppose. I have had the experience of liking a movie with this sort of ending, only to then run into comments here on IMDb telling me it's been seen before. But do watch the movie even in case you have an idea of what I'm talking about, I do recommend it.