41 of 48 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent, but troubling..., July 4, 2001
This review is from: Pretty Village, Pretty Flame (DVD)
This is a first rate war movie, right up there with Saving Private Ryan or Thin Red Line. But, to really understand it, first you have to be from Croatia, Serbia, Slovenia or Bosna/Herzegovina. Second, you must be smart and intelligent enough to see through it and third, you must not have dear friends and family killed in a war.
That's a pretty tall order, I know...
At first sight, the movie looks as pure Milosevic's propaganda and it's obvious why is that. It was the only way it could get made. But the authors were smarter, so they did what Verhoeven did with "Starship Troopers"- an all-out SF action for the masses and clever satire for the classes.
The story revolves around two friends (a Serb and A Muslim) who end up on different sides in the war (naturally), one being sieged by the other (both with their troops) in the unfinished tunnel of "Brotherhood and Unity" (excellent parallel, watch out for many more) somehwere in Bosnia... Terror, despair, friendship turned sour, people fooled by propaganda... All come out through the memories of better times for all peoples of the Balkans.
The telling of the story is rather complex, but you'll get it on your second or third viewing, if you can stomach it. Some scenes are quite disturbing, so watch out. This is not for children at all...
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25 of 28 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
One of the best war movies ever made., October 15, 1999
By A Customer
This review is from: Pretty Village, Pretty Flame (DVD)
I rented Pretty Village Pretty Flame on an impulse one night because I'm interested in the Boznian situation. I wasn't sure what to expect, though in all honesty, I wasn't sure if it's be any good. I was blown out of the water. It's brutally honest, cynical and yet darkly humorous account of the war in Yugoslavia amazed me. The story, the performances and most of all the directorship were all grade A+. I must say that Dragojevic' has made a powerful, haunting film that is even, if one can call a war movie such, fun for the eyes with it's impressive visuals. I recently purchased this title on DVD and hit a snag. The DVD transfer leaves the film a bit grainy in parts with pixilation present from time to time. Still, a terrific movie that I believe anyone who likes "real" movies should buy.
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18 of 20 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Homo hominis lupus est., May 4, 2004
This review is from: Pretty Village, Pretty Flame (DVD)
- (...). This is a triumph of filmmaking (with zero budget) and writing, even though the translation is terrible.
- Pretty Village, Pretty Flame is not about who started what, when or how. It's about people caught up in the midst of something fundamentally senseless. It's about lost souls and desperation.
- This movie is heavy to watch and in my opinion one of the best war movies ever made. Second only to Roman Polanski's The Pianist. I highly recommend it.
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