Review of Pretty Village, Pretty Flame (1996) by David L — 15 Dec 2012

The films about the Yugoslav war on Balkan isn't like any other war movies. The movies about the second world war it's all despair and seems like the end of the world as we know it, it's a dead serious war. But the films about the Yugoslav wars tends to have a comical undertone, no matter how brutal this conflict was, with all it's ethnic cleaning and huge losses. A dark comical tone that is present in such films as "Underground" and "No Man's Land". I think that the comedy lies in that irony that all the ethnic groups are so alike in many ways. They even speak the same language. But it's their religion and their history which in the end of the day defines which side you are on.

Srdjan Dragojevic's Pretty Village, Pretty Flame tells the story about two best friends. One Serb, Milan, and one Muslim, Halil. Who back in 1980, discovered an abandon tunnel that is out of use. No body dears to go close to this tunnel. A decade later, war has broke out between the different ethnic groups. Especially between the Serbs and the Bosniaks, where Milan and Halil is on each side. The violence just escalates. Villages are burned down. One night, Milan's platoon is being ambushed by Bosniaks, and seeks cover in the abandon tunnel from his childhood.

Pretty Village, Pretty Flamme is a modern classic in Serbian cinema. And almost ten percent of Serbia's population. But it heavily criticized by other former Yugoslav countries of being to pro-Serbian and anti-bosniaks, and racist. Is this true. Both yes and no. In the tunnel where the Serbian platoon is trapped, a radio voice coming from a hidden radio in the cave, with a laughing Bosniak. Who seems to love terrorizing the Serbs. But there's also the fact that Milan did have a Muslim best friend. But the reality makes it impossible for them to continue their friendship. This movie might seem racist, but a the same time, it's shows us why. And it's comical undertone shows us how ridiculous the situation is. Overall it's a thrilling war film, with a great plot, but with to much symbolism. Thumbs up.